Press launch of Sting's The Last Ship at Errol Flynn Filmhouse, Northampton

Sting

On Friday 16th February 2018, I attended the official press launch of The Last Ship. In attendance were the writer of the show, Sting, and cast members for the 2018 UK tour Richard Fleeshman, Charlie Hardwick and Joe McGann, with musical support from Rob Mathes.

During the event, opened entertainingly by producer Karl Sydow, Sting and the cast members performed seven of the songs from the show: The Last Ship (Sting), Dead Man's Boots (Sting and Fleeshman), Sail Away (Hardwick), The Night the Pugilist Learned to Dance (Fleeshman), What Say You Meg? (Fleeshman) and What Have You Got? (Sting and cast).

Richard Fleeshman

Each of these songs showed us a great background to the evocative tale that The Last Ship tells, of a community under attack as its crucial shipbuilding industry begins to fail. The performers and Sting himself delivered the songs with huge passion, despite, as Sting himself commented, the earnestness of the hour, with the event beginning at 10 am.

The Last Ship was initially inspired by Sting's 1991 album The Soul Cages and also, as referenced during the event, his growing up in a community where the biggest ships on Earth were being created, at the very end of their streets, towering above, blocking out the sun.

Charlie Hardwick

In response to an audience members question, cast member Charlie Hardwick also acknowledged the importance of the musical to herself and her family, having also been born in Wallsend, the setting of the show. The importance especially acknowledged with the plans of her thousands of family members planning on attending!

Joe McGann

The cast of the tour, which opens at Northern Stage (Newcastle upon Tyne) on Monday 12 March, features Joe McGann (Jackie White), Charlie Hardwick (Peggy White), Richard Fleeshman (Gideon Fletcher) and Frances McNamee (Meg Dawson), Michael Blair (Yard Worker), Joe Caffrey (Billy Thompson), Matt Corner (Young Gideon & Yard Worker), Marvin Ford (Ferryman & Yard Worker), Orla Gormley (Cathleen & Yard Worker), Annie Grace (Mrs Dees), Sean Kearns (Freddy Newland & Old Joe), Katie Moore (Ellen Dawson), Charlie Richmond (Adrian Sanderson), Parisa Shahmir (Young Meg), Kevin Wathen (Davey Harrison) and Penelope Woodman (Baroness Tynedale).

The show then heads off on an eleven-stop tour, visiting Northampton's Royal & Derngate between Tuesday 24 and Saturday 28 April.

Details and ticket available for Royal & Derngate at https://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/the-last-ship/

Full Tour Dates:

Monday 12 March – Saturday 7 April

NORTHERN STAGE

northernstage.co.uk | 0191 230 5151

Monday 9 – Saturday 14 April

LIVERPOOL PLAYHOUSE

everymanplayhouse.com | 0151 709 4776

Monday 16 – Saturday 21 April

THE NEW ALEXANDRA, BIRMINGHAM

atgtickets.com/Birmingham | 0844 871 7647

Tuesday 24 – Saturday 28 April

ROYAL & DERNGATE, NORTHAMPTON

royalandderngate.co.uk | 01604 624 811

Monday 30 April – Saturday 5 May

LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

leedsgrandtheatre.com | 0844 848 2700

Monday 7 – Saturday 12 May

NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE

nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk | 0115 941 9419

Monday 14 – Saturday 19 May

WALES MILLENIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF

wmc.org.uk | 029 2063 6464

Monday 4 – Saturday 9 June

BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE, DUBLIN

bordgaisenergytheatre.ie | +353 1 677 7999

Tuesday 12 – Saturday 16 June

FESTIVAL THEATRE, EDINBURGH

edtheatres.com | 0131 529 6000

Monday 18 – Saturday 23 June

THEATRE ROYAL GLASGOW

atgtickets.com/Glasgow | 0844 871 7647

Monday 25 – Saturday 30 June

YORK THEATRE ROYAL

yorktheatreroyal.co.uk | 01904 623 568

Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 July

THE LOWRY, SALFORD

thelowry.com | 0843 208 6000

Photos: Mark Savage, M.A.D. Photography, John Roan Photography

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