Writing the music and lyrics for The Last Ship, Sting drew on both his family and musical roots, and his childhood in a shipbuilding town in the north east of England in the 1950s. The musical theatre work follows the story of the Wallsend ship yard, from the imminent risk of closure to the impact on the local community as the last ship is built.
The major theme, as Sting’s character Jackie White states many times is: ‘We build ships’. A government decision to close the shipyard produces tenacious solidarity as the community fights for the town’s collective livelihood despite the inevitable outcome.
It’s a deeply personal story from the 18 Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, and The Last Ship has gone through many iterations and productions since Sting originally conceived the idea in 2011. A new book by Barney Norris and Lorne Campbell informs this current revitalised production, tightening earlier versions to provide an emotionally taut and compelling drama, which for the most part works well.
The Last Ship review – quick links
Sting delivers a powerful performance
The plight of the workers is front and centre and Leo Warner directs a strong and empathetic version of events. He also weaves the tenuous love story of prodigal son Gideon (loosely based on Sting himself) and his relationship with his former childhood sweetheart, Meg, into the overall narrative. This theme of loss and redemption seems to dominate the story at times, rather than being integrated into the whole.
The first act develops at a fairly slow pace while the second might benefit from a few judicious cuts, mainly to songs that fail to progress the main narrative.
Musical and thematic ideas from Sting’s 1991 solo album The Soul Cages have been incorporated into his composition and lyrics for The Last Ship. A melodic soulful ballad from this album, Island of Souls, provides the first song of the musical with its semi-autobiographical lyrics. Sung by Sting from a gantry positioned high above the stage, with effective accompaniment from Northumbrian pipes, it is a powerful opening.
As the foreman, Jackie White, Sting gives an authoritative, highly credible performance that sets a high bar for what follows. He gives passionate renditions to his many songs and has lost none of his trademark delivery with his burnished tone and rich musical expression.
The sound of the sea
The excellent score includes a range of folk and Celtic rhythms, lyrical ballads, sea shanties with jazz influences, as well as nods to Kurt Weill. Moreover, the musicians under Rob Mathhes’s supervision are all first rate. Songs are realised with poetically worded, mostly sea-related, lyrics that progress the narrative musically rather than through the spoken word. The choral writing is particularly strong and exceptionally well delivered in songs including The Last Ship and Shipyard.
Sting is surrounded by a gifted cast of wonderful actors and singers. As Gideon Fletcher, Declan Bennett gives a finely nuanced performance, matched by the strength of Lauren Samuels’ fiery Meg. Her delivery of the ironic If You Ever Saw Me Talking to a Sailor is fabulous.
As Peggy White, Annette McLaughlin provides a tough foil and support to Sting’s Jackie, while Hannah Richardson’s vocals give credence to the teenage Ellen. Mathew Craig’s Freddy Newlands makes Practical Arrangement heart-felt, while Joe Cafferty is spot on as Billy Thompson, the Marxist Union boss. The remaining cast, including the additional local chorus, play and sing their variety of roles with great commitment, while movement is perfectly choregraphed by Rebecca Howell.
Award-winning reggae singer Shaggy plays the enigmatic role of the Ferryman with great aplomb. He provides some light hearted humour and fun within the darker drama. There is an intriguing double-entendre to his role, as he watches over many scenes and characters. With references to classical literature sprinkled throughout the text, this ferryman appears to be akin to his namesake in Greek mythology, maybe ferrying the doomed workers to the underworld across the river Styx.
Building a shipyard on stage
The enormous set that towers over the stage provides the backdrop for the shipyard, with a majestic ship’s hull rising along the back wall complete with scaffolding, girders, cranes and gantries. The design by 59 Studio includes Benjamin Pearcy’s video design and Matt Taylor’s animation, integrating projections of terrace houses and scudding clouds. The final awe-inspiring projections, opening up the stage as the last ship leaves the dock, are visually stunning.
This is no Police concert of Sting’s hit songs, such as Roxanne and Message in a Bottle, or star vehicle for yet another jukebox musical. The Last Ship is an entirely different genre, and sees an internationally-acclaimed musician honouring his upbringing and community by using the music he knows and loves.
In so doing he has added to his long list of musical credits by crafting an engaging work with a compelling narrative, terrific music and songs and a wonderful cast, wrapping it all up in a visually exciting production. A few things could be tweaked to make the narrative more effective but nevertheless this is an ideal piece for the new Glasshouse Theatre at QPAC. It is the only southern hemisphere destination in which The Last Ship will dock and should not be missed.
