With The Last Ship currently docked at Birmingham's New Alexandra Theatre, it's pleasing to see that the Midland's press have been as positive as their counterparts in the North East and on Merseyside. If you're quick you can still catch The Last Ship at the New Alexandra as it runs until Saturday, 21 April before moving on to Northampton.
The Reviews Hub commented: "New musicals as striking as The Last Ship don’t come along very often" and picked out the excellent performances of Joe McGann and Charlie Hardwick as Jackie and Peggy White. They went on to say "The score by Sting contains some excellent choral writing which gives the show an earthy, gritty feel – it’s stirring stuff, rousing and toe-tapping in equal measure." Read the full review here.
The Express and Star commented: "The Last Ship is an incredibly powerful show that stirs the soul, lighting a fire in your belly while tugging at your heart strings" and on the "Clever use of film projection adds impressive depth and atmosphere to the set with the shipbuilders cranes seemingly towering above and the welders sparks lighting up the room. Slick staging and innovative screening creates versatility and seamless scene changes." Read the full review here.
The Birmingham Press commented: "Richard Fleeshman, singing astonishingly like Sting, and Frances McNamee are the stand-out stars of the show with their strong voices and convincing characters. Katie Moore, in another parallel, is a lively and inspiring 16-year-old Ellen Dawson who yearns to go to London to fulfil her own musical dreams." Read the full review here.
Behind The Arras commented on the production: "A star in its own right is the set from 59 Productions, an industrial landscape of girders and gantries with a video projection of clouds, rooftops, cranes, girders, whatever needed soaring up into the flies – we even get a full stage church interior which, with clever perspective, looks real rather than projected. Below are scrim blinds which raise and lower when needed to provide lower video walls for interiors, or to allow highlighted moments appearing behind – scene changes at the flick of a switch and the best use of technology in theatre since The Curious Incident. Worth seeing for that set alone, a set enhanced by Matt Daw’s sympathetic lighting." Read the full review here.
The Last Ship continues at the New Alexandra Theatre until Saturday 21 April. Tickets are still available here.