Titanic Dining Experience: Actors bring story to life as this immersive theatre experience comes to Scotland
Hotel venues across the country will be transformed to the First Class deck of the Titanic to relive events of that fateful day, April 14, 1912, when the unthinkable happened to the ‘unsinkable’ ship.
The show, a mix of interactive experiences theatre and dinner, unfolds around you as you enjoy some of the same dishes that were served up on that final meal.
Tickets are now on sale for the show - Queen of the Ocean, Titanic Dining Experience - which take place in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee.
We caught up with one of the actors from Histoire Productions Emily Chatfield-Lewis, who has taken on the role - and the lifestory - of First Class maid Mabel Bennett, and asked her to tell us more.
Living history
“I’ve learned so much about her,” she said. “It’s hard work - normally you do your scene and then you’re off stage, and can have a breather, but here we stay in character all the way through.”
The shows last over three hours, and from the moment guests enter the hotel’s dining room, they are treated as wealthy passengers, stepping aboard RMS Titanic bound for New York.
Emily is one of four cast members; Captain Smith, a head maid and two other maids. Her character, Mabel Bennett, was a First Class maid on the ship. Over the five years Emily has toured the country with the Titanic Experience and Histoire Productions, she has immersed herself in the life of Mabel, in all aspects of the ship, the timing of the events, the history and many of the stories of the other crew members and guests.
“Mabel was married and had a daughter, but her husband left her when the girl was eight months old.
“She wrote letters to him, which I’ve read, and at first he supported them but as time went on he didn’t and she was left with no choice but to cut ties with him, ask for a divorce and to seek a living of her own,” said Emily.
“It reveals a lot about how women were treated back then and how working women were unheard of in some parts of society.”
Mabel lived with her sister – also called Emily - and brother-in-law Alfred Crawford. Both Alfred and a nephew worked on the liners. Mabel herself had worked before on the RMS Olympic, another White Star ship.
Take your places
Many diners taking their seats for this unique and immersive ‘voyage’ of discovery, get into the spirit of the event and dress up to suit the occasion and the year.
After being greeted by Captain Smith they have a drink and a chance to mingle with the other passengers and cast members, and marvel at the ship’s Morse Code machine (which later will be used to send a desperate SOS message).
Here they learn more about the other passengers – some of the richest and best connected people – whose names became part of history in an event which was unthinkable then and remains something of a mystery today.
Emily says 40 per cent of the performance is scripted, but the rest is “off the cuff” acting by the cast, who take their cues from questions and observations from the passengers – and they do like to keep the actors on their toes!
“There are people who know all about the Titanic and will try to catch you out with a few questions!” says Emily, but she says as well as learning the formal script, she has also learned huge amounts about the ship itself, the layout and the people, what happened when and where.
“The first 40 minutes is all unscripted, it’s when we are meeting our guests and introducing them,” she says. After that the guests are taken into the dining room, formally seated and will take their time to savour a three course meal, with dishes selected from the Titanic’s original menu on that day. As the night unfolds so do the events which were to shock the world, as they relive the final 24 hours of this Ocean Class liner’s fatal voyage .
Mabel’s story
A fur coat played a part in Mabel’s story – a fur coat which was later sold at auction for over £150,000 by one of her descendants!
“We don’t know if the coat was hers or if she borrowed it, or was given it just to keep warm. But she was on deck and the ship was sinking. Bruce Ismay – the controversial head of the White Star Line, who had ordered the liner to have fewer lifeboat places than passengers – was on that maiden voyage.
“He saw Mabel and told her to get into a lifeboat, she said she shouldn’t because she was crew, not a passenger. But he told her: ‘You’re still a woman, get into the lifeboat’.” and so his insistence probably saved her life.
Bobby’s brainchild
The performance by Histoire Productions, is the brainchild of Bobby Cole, who writes music for TV and Film. After becoming fascinated with the history of the Titanic he wrote and recorded a concept album based on the ‘unsinkable’ ship’s final hours – it included voiceovers and sound effects, and he planned to perform it live, with a meal to accompany it. The idea grew into this poignant theatre experience, which is a tragic and heartfelt tribute to the 1503 men, women and children who lost their lives.
“It’s a unique experience,” Bobby says. “It’s very respectfully and tastefully performed with the actors staying in character throughout the whole evening and interacting with the diners.”
Be part of the story
Guests are invited to take part in bringing the story to life, including singing a hymn that was sung at that morning’s church service on board, and dining on barley soup, chicken Lyonnaise and Waldorf pudding – all of which were on the 11-course menu for First Class passengers on that night.
The evening draws to a close as the Captain realises that the ‘unthinkable’ is happening and guests will hear ‘Nearer my God to Thee’, as the ship finally goes beneath the waves.
Throughout the performance there are various stories revealed, based on events recorded at the time or which came to light later.
Book your place on board
Histoire Productions are bringing the experience on tour in Scotland where it will be performed at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa, Edinburgh; Gleddoch Golf and Spa Resort, Glasgow, and the Apex City Quay Hotel and Spa, Dundee on various dates between September 29 and October 7.
For tickets and more details visit the website.