There are plenty of memorable tunes to match the high production values of Northern Stage’s The Last Ship. However, despite having its heart firmly affixed to its sleeve, the production never quite achieves the emotional resonance it so clearly seeks.
What’s Debbie looking forward to in May 2018?
An exciting couple of months coming up on the Fringe – this month I’m checking out Theatre N16’s new venue for a couple of shows, for one thing, and next month The Bunker Theatre will be a bit of a hotbed for new writing.
‘Full of humanity & defiance’: THE LAST SHIP – Touring ★★★★
Packed full of humanity and defiance, if a trifle long, The Last Ship is an impressive first show from pop legend Sting.
‘A thing of beauty’: THE LAST SHIP – Touring ★★★★
For the most part, Sting’s The Last Ship is a thing of beauty. The Geordie songwriter/pop megastar has penned a well-crafted salute to the shipbuilders of his native Newcastle Upon Tyne and their industry that has long vanished.
NEWS: Joe McGann replaces Jimmy Nail in Sting’s The Last Ship musical
Joe McGann will replace Jimmy Nail as Jackie White when Sting’s Broadway musical The Last Ship receives its UK premiere this spring. Further principal casting has also been announced today for the new production, which opens at Northern Stage on 12 March 2018 for four weeks ahead of a major UK and Ireland tour.
NEWS: Sting’s debut musical Last Ship gets UK premiere in Newcastle
Sting’s debut musical The Last Ship will get its UK premiere in the new year, coming “home” to Newcastle in Tyne and Wear, where the story is set.
INTERVIEW: Spotlight On… Rachel Tucker
Rachel Tucker is basically theatrical royalty, with a an impressive resume, an incredible voice and an extremely dedicated following. Currently touring the UK and about to start her second stint at the Zedel in London, Rachel was lovely enough to discuss what we can expect in her concerts, how she stays motivated, her dream role and much more.
The Last Ship: F*ck The Bishop!
Sting’s The Last Ship closed on Broadway last night, after a disappointing run of just over 100 performances since it opened on October 26. At the final performance, he gave a moving curtain speech in which he said: ’Before we take our final bow, I feel it’s incumbent on me to say something. I’m not sure I’ll get through it without breaking down. I need to be a better actor, but I will try. There’s no point in pretending [this] is not incredibly emotional. I think I can speak for all of us onstage, not least because there are so many parallels between the closing of a play and the closing of a shipyard. Some of the lines that we were saying as actors are so appropriate to our lives, just as they’re appropriate to the lives of the shipyard workers fighting for their livelihood.