Blending fact and fiction together, Ghosts of the Titanic – set in the days after the sinking of the Titanic – charts the swirling of rumours, political distraction tactics and fake news that followed.
A bereaved woman trying to find out the truth about her fiancé’s death gets sucked into a maelstrom of questions: was the Titanic really as safe as it said it was – or was its state-of-the-art design actually riddled with mistakes? And were the engineers rushed to complete it by the rich and powerful owner? Did the needs of the insurers override the possibility of saving more souls? Even the basic ‘fact’ of an iceberg causing the fatal damage was up for debate. Written by Ron Hutchinson, whose grandfather worked as a shipfitter on the Titanic, Ghosts of the Titanic explores the issues of conspiracy theories and fake news that are still prevalent 110 years later.
On 14 April, 1912, the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic lay at the bottom of the Atlantic. Just four days earlier, the ship had departed for America with Emma Hinton’s beloved fiancé Henry on board. Henry, a passionate musician, had left the dock filled with happiness at landing his dream job in the ship’s orchestra. His dreams, and Emma’s, are tragically curtailed when the Titanic hits the iceberg and goes down. In the wake of this now-iconic accident, Emma tries to piece together the real story of what happened and who is to blame. But it’s a quest that will lead her to the edges of what her mind can bear. Is it sometimes better not to know?
Ghosts of the Titanic stars Genevieve Gaunt (Pansy Parkinson in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), John Hopkins (Sir Francis Basset in Poldark 2017-18), and Lizzy McInnerny (Bobo Macdonald in The Crown). The cast is completed by Emmanuella Cole, Fergal McElherron and Clive Brill.
Ghosts of the Titanic is at Park Theatre 9th March to 2nd April 2022.
