The Man who Left the Titanic

21 October 2011, 8pm: The Market Place Theatre, Armagh
22 October 2011, 8pm: The Playhouse, Derry/Londonderry
27 October 2011, 8pm: Roe Valley Arts & Cultural Centre, Limavady
29 October 2011, 8pm: Courtyard Theatre at Ballyearl

The basic narrative of Titanic’s broad story has such a structured beginning, middle and end that it has provided material for books, plays, films and television dramas since 1912. What continues to fascinate people around the world is how many sub-plots are contained within the bigger story. There is always a new tale to discover. In Northern Ireland, treating the subject as fodder for a stage play has been avoided for the past 90 years or so, but recently a new crop of theatrical productions has emerged which are telling the Titanic story from a different perspective.

History of the play

One such theatrical production is “The Man who Left the Titanic” by Patrick Prior which was performed in Belfast City Hall during the Titanic 100 festival staged by the city council. It has toured various theatres in Ireland and England and will continue to do so throughout 2011 and 2012. It is a two man play which examines the motives and actions of J Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star Line. Ismay is often portrayed by history as the villain of the piece, having left the ship in a lifeboat while crew stayed at their posts.

Overview of the play

Prior’s play shows a tortured Ismay, dressed only in nightclothes unable to sleep as he replays the last hours of Titanic in his head. He is aided in this by the ghost of the hero of Titanic, Thomas Andrews who prods and antagonises him in every action and statement. To watch just two men exchanging dialogue over two acts on a near empty stage could easily be hard work for an audience but this play is anything but. It is captivating, moving and totally engrossing.

Writer Patrick Prior says, 'From the films and reading I was always aware that Ismay was portrayed as a slippery individual who shame-facedly got into the lifeboat under the contemptuous gazes of the sailors who stayed till the end. That gave me a focus. Here was a human being who seemingly deserted his ship, but was it quite as cut and dried? I chose Andrews as his protagonist as he was the epitome of what people thought Ismay should be. He was part of the company who built the ship and he went down like a hero. He made the perfect contrast. This provided the play with the dynamics and drove the plot.'

Event Date(s) : 21 - 29 October 2011

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