Theatre Review - Pluck: The Titanic Show

TNG theatre guy Chris submits this post.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m a full-blown music nerd. You all can think back to high school and picture the band geeks and orch dorks. Some were “worse” than others, but there was always a sense of humor there that these music nerds shared. When one goes to college and majors in music, the bad music jokes get better, smarter, and dirtier. Wind quintet rehearsals turn into drinking games. It’s this sort of humor that makes Pluck’s newest show, The Titanic Show, so much fun.

Because they come from the UK, it makes it very easy to say “Oh, that’s Monty Python crossed with a string trio.” There are certainly similarities, including slapstick and bad puns. But by building their shows around actual classical tunes arranged for string trio, Pluck adds another layer to their manic performances.

This gets difficult to describe. First and foremost, Pluck presents a concert, featuring works by Mozart, Rossini, Schubert, Bach, Tchaikovsky, etc. The arrangements are simple and played effortlessly. This is the secret to their success. Outlandish behavior and physical comedy only work if the performances have a solid foundation, in this case, the music. If these players were hacks, the entire performance would be a painful experience for the audience. But instead, the three Pluck members are each stellar musicians.

So, we’ve got great music. Now, add in a stage show. The Titanic Show is based on the lives of the string players on board the ship who played on the famous ship even while sinking. Not much is known about these players, although fact has been incorporated where the researchers were able. However, this is mostly silly fun and as the program states, “Nobody knows what happened to those brave few before tragedy struck…so Pluck has made it up.”

Like musical humorists such as Victor Borge and PDQ Bach, Pluck, comprised of Adrian Garratt, Siân Kadifachi and Jon Regan, have this tricky performance art perfected. The jokes reach a wide audience and the physical comedy is nearly non-stop. And somehow they manage to give The Titanic Show a happy ending.

Pluck: The Titanic Show features Pluck (Adrian Garratt, Siân Kadifachi and Jon Regan). Directed by Cal McCrystal with chorography by Robyn Simpson. Lighting by Natasha Chivers, sets by Sue Mayes and video by Ben Rogers. Musical arrangements by Julian Saxl and Pluck. Runs through March 1st at the Bethesda Theatre, which is very easy to get to on the red line. For more info, visit http://www.bethesdatheatre.com/.