After nearly fifty years, Meredith Wilson’s 1960 Broadway musical has finally made its way to London. However, now that it has, it is sad to discover that it was perhaps not worth it.

The show, which is a fictional version of Margaret (Molly) Brown’s real-life story, clearly lacked charisma in the title role. Abi Finley, a finalist on How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?, plays the title role and is seemingly unable to solve the problem of its weak characterisation.

All things considered, this performance was as uninspired as Thom Southerland’s efforts in the production department were creatively and musically lacking.

Southerland has come to be known for his resourcefulness in trying venues such as the Broadway Studio Theatre and the Union. On this occasion however, he has been given a little to work with and yet is unable to stop the show from sinking like the Titanic.

Some of the members of the cast double as musicians and this hardly helps the production. They give the impression of having been tutored by the fake music teacher from The Music Man, Meredith Wilson’s famous show.

It often seems hardly believable that Finley or Sean Pol McGreevy (playing Johnny Brown, Margaret’s husband), manage to stick to the tune with the orchestra playing completely against them. Given the circumstances, it has to be conceded that both performers acquit themselves rather well.

Strangely, Southerland’s production botches perhaps the most important and interesting aspect of the story – we have to wait until Maggie is actually on the lifeboat to realise that she was on the Titanic. What is most sad about this amateurish and overwhelmingly tedious production is the fact there is no life boat for the audience to get aboard.