Sinking Heaven
by Tom Martin & Phil Montgomery
"The Captain stood where a Captain should,
For the Law of the Sea is grim;
The Owner romped while the ship was swamped,
And no law bothered him"
— Ben Hecht, 1912 *
The ghosts of the dead haunt J. Bruce Ismay, chairman of the White Star Line, and owner of the Titanic. Ostracised by London society and savaged by the press for allegedly abandoning the ship in contravention of the "Women and Children First" principle, a tortured Ismay seeks salvation alone.
One spectre haunts him in particular: young William Brailey, a member of the famous band that 'played on' as the Titanic sank. As well as a gifted pianist, Brailey was also part of the Freshfield jet set, flying with early aviators such as Cecil Paterson.
A study in the dynamics of guilt, Sinking Heaven pits the character of a man who has become a specimen of fear against the potential of a man cut down in his prime.
* With thanks to Florice Whyte Kovan for her information
on Master and Man by Ben Hecht.
Funders and Friends
CREATIVE TEAM
Cast
Lindsay Goulbourne
Hayley Greggs
Rachel Hankin
Rose Hardy
Zoe Marras
Rachel Molloy
Amber-Page Moss
Katy Owens
Keri Spellman
Directors
Ursula Carey-Jenkins
Natalie Ann Dowdeswell
Chris Fittock
Designer
Grace Stead
Composer
Christopher Johns
Film Maker
Natalie Humphreys
Historians
Nicola Jones
Dr. Reg Yorke
David Davies
Bob Jones
The Theatre in the Rough Festival 2012 is funded by:
The Heritage Lottery Fund
Arts Council England Grants
for the Arts
And is supported by:
Merseyside Maritime Museum
Sefton MBC Arts & Cultural Services
Friends of Old Christ Church
