It wasn’t just the toffs and millionaires who sought a cabin on board the Titanic’s maiden voyage; workers also vied for positions. Boiler Room Six: A Titanic Story premiering at Greenside @ George Street tells the story of one such man in a new and intimate perspective on the infamous tragedy.
A new and intimate perspective on the infamous tragedy
Frederick William Barrett, born 1883, was a wheelwright until he discovered his wife’s infidelity. Consequently, he abandons his home, serves on several ships as a stoker and is eventually hired as a lead stoker on the ill-fated ship and assigned to boiler room six.
Tom Foreman’s play, which he also directs, with Natalia Izquierdo as Technical Director and Pip Pearce as Associate Director, starts with Barrett’s appearance in front of the board of inquiry into the disaster. Max Beken appears smartly dressed as he answers questions. He conveys the profound sense of responsibility Barrett had for his team and in particular the last-minute recruit who had lied about his age in order to get a job on board. He also illustrates the competence and experience of Barrett in handling the situation.
We are soon transported to the bowels of the vessel to witness the terrifying moment when the ship scrapes along the side of the iceberg. Beken’s highly animated physicality vividly draws us into the ensuing crisis, heightened by powerful lighting and sound effects. Red lights flash, bells ring and the command to stop the engines is given. He shouts orders to shut the dampers, that will close the furnaces just before the water starts to pour in. With the option to stay and battle on or go up on deck, Barrett chooses to follow procedures until no more can be done and the only move left is to head to the lifeboats, where he takes charge of No 13 and successfully steers the overloaded vessel’s passengers to safety before being picked up by RMS Carpathia.
With the events over, the play rounds off neatly with a return to the Inquiry, Beken also having delivered some emotional moments as Barrett laments having torn up the letter he received from his estranged wife and struggles with the idea of a reconciliation.
The play and Bekens performance is a fitting tribute not just to Barrett but to the sacrifice of those men who put the lives of others before their own and in so doing saved many.
