What I liked
Huge shout-out to the sound designer!
Loved the “fog horn take a shot” bit throughout.
Also, I knew the shape of the shanty songs, but not the lyrics, which briefly confused me. After the show I learned lyrics were tweaked (?). It worked!
Wonderful voices/costumes/makeup.
What I didn't like
Gently…the term “immersive” is thrown around a lot in general, and should not be for this show.
This is not an “immersive” show, as the production does not require direct / hands-on involvement from the audience to make the show work.
The show runs just fine with us audience sitting and watching. Just because we audience are sitting on the set doesn’t make the show “immersive”.
My overall impression
Ten Toes Down for this beautiful performance that reads differently if you do or don’t know the full background of the Essex disaster. (I did know the history.)
If you don’t know the history, it’s a fun show.
If you do know the history, it’s a fun kinda emotionally devastating show that will make you (ok maybe just Me) quietly cry in your seat…even tho it wasn’t quite what I I thought I was going to see? It was still fabulous.
Either way? It works!
