Boiler Room Six: A Titanic Story

Excellent. This was what I regard as classic Fringe show - you learn something as well as be entertained by top quality one-man theatre. Brilliantly atmospheric. Top quality writing, direction and acting. The perspective of a rarely-heard crew voice from below-decks gives a fascinating view of the disaster. A must-see!

Incredible acting - great storytelling

Incredible! Max was amazing from start to finish - how does one person learn so many lines with so many different voices :characters, actions etc for a show lasting nearly an hour - astonishing!
Wonderful story line perfectly acted out - I was in the boiler room as the temperatures rose and fell, rushing up the staircases into the grandeur of the upper decks and then out into the cold and a space on one of the few lifeboats. Will be following Max for the future - great job

There's not really a lot I can add to the huge number of 5 star reviews which have already been left, but I just want to add my own name (and my husband's) to the long list of people who have found this one-man performance by Max Beken unbelievably, incredibly, astonishingly amazing. Max enacted the story of fire breaking out in boiler room 6 of the Titanic. It was the true story of a head stoker on the Titanic named Frederick Barrett, who was one of the few survivors after the "unsinkable" ship's tragic maiden voyage. It was an utterly spellbinding performance. The way Max spoke to the imagined characters around him in the bowels of the ship it made it impossible not to envisage each and every one of them and almost feel like we knew them, and an emotional journey it was too. The hairs on the back of my neck literally stood on end several times during the show, the acting was so powerful. This really was one not to be missed and I can't express how glad I am to have spotted it in the Fringe magazine. To think we could have missed it! Too much to be able to put into words, this performance was off the scale. What a piece of writing and production by Tom Foreman too of course. Congratulations on creating a masterpiece!

At the end of the show Max thanked the audience for coming and mentioned that he was in another show at this year's Fringe written by Tom Foreman called "Out of Woodstock". Having been so blown away by both the writing and the performance of "Boiler Room Six" we bought tickets straight away for "Out of Woodstock" - that too was absolutely amazing. It's past my bedtime so I can't write a review for that now, but it really was another must-see. The talent in both the writing/production and the acting was breathtaking yet again.

An astounding performance from the moment the lights came up to them going out. The utterly captivating writing paired with such a talented performance by Max Beken truly made me have goosebumps. The story gives a new perspective on the horrors of the Titanic sinking by shining a light on the men that worked under deck and saved lives, whilst questioning why they got to live afterwards. A complete 5 star must see for Fringe 2024 - homage to Tom Foreman and Max Beken’s collaborative masterpiece that’s been created.

This was a triumph. A single actor. 55 minutes. I was transported to the Titanic with a bit of sound and lighting and his acting talent alone. Terrific!

This show kept me totally engrossed. Captivating script, beautiful performance.
5 stars *****

Brilliant one man show! Superbly acted and a wonderful script.

Kept us totally hooked and completely immersed. Perspective of the titanic that we’ve not heard before. Great show!

Totally captivating production. The acting, lighting and sound effects brought everything to life and not wanting to give away spoilers, at one point I actually cried with the emotion. Superb.

Loved it, a really well told story but from a viewpoint most haven't heard from. Brilliantly acted, the meaning, the feelings, the memories all portrayed in the most raw but brilliant way.

Fantastic acting, great telling from a different view point. One of the best show I've seen this year.

Fantastic show performed by in incredible actor.

This guy kept the audience enthralled for the whole performance. Hats off to everyone involved. This is what the Fringe is all about. I will be looking out for more from this actor and this company.

Wow, what a fantastic 5* show. Brilliant writing, amazing sound and lights and a dazzling and engrossing performance from the best actor we've seen at the Fringe. Max Beken's multi-role performance was faultless. A story definitely worth telling; a must see.

I was familiar with the story of Frederick Barrett, so it was such a moving experience to see it told through this excellent performance. The actor does an amazing job of bringing you into the story, and the set, lighting, and sound design were simple but incredibly effective. I would definitely recommend!

I haven't heard of this person from the Titanic before and I am happy to have it told by this performer.
Gripping, enthralling, and convincing.

One of my favourite shows of this years fringe. A compelling story beautifully written & well acted and directed. This is an actor with wonderful physical acting skills. His miming was exceptionally well done - I could see the actual pile of coal being scooped up & shovelled into the boilers. The fast pace of the action kept my attention & ai loved how he did the changes of character. Special mention must go to the sound designer for immersing us in the bowels of the engine room so effectively.
My only suggestions for making this show even better would be to replace the modern reference to people “passing” with the more historically accurate “died” & improve clarity by emphasising consonants (my husband & I struggled to hear/understand some of the words). But I’m really picky, this is a great show and I’ve already told lots of people to go & see it.

Impressive! Go and see it!

A skilled multi-rolling actor commands the stage in this thrilling and tragic tale that pays homage to the courage and sacrifice of ordinary people.

Absolute MUST SEE ! Fantastic script beautifully performed by Max. From the moment he enters the stage you are thrust into this riveting story and captivated right until the end. A truly magical performance!

An excellent one man show telling the story of Titanic from a different point of view that most wouldn’t have heard of. Outstanding performance holding the audience gripped the whole time.

Very well written and acted. We were engrossed the whole way through

I was on the fence about whether to see this show and I'm so glad I did! Beautifully written and performed. Even knowing the basics of the story already, I was so engrossed the whole time, and felt all the feels. Plus the physical and vocal specificity when switching between characters was very impressive

Am amazing performance, well done. Highly recommend this show.

Loved it...

Loved it. Fantastic performance and beautiful script. I loved being taken on a journey through the ship, the audience were confidently embraced in the story. One of my favorites at the fringe!!

Playing Fredrick, his mates and other crew members he passionately reignites the story of Titanic by telling their story from below deck. Great use of tech and lighting, would recommend a watch!

Engrossing performance professionally done.

The story, which explored the complex experience of an engineer before, during and after the Titanic tragedy, was a joy to watch. Well executed, it made the audience feel they were part of the journey, torn in every difficult decision. Able to evoke a strongly empathetic response, this powerful narrative is well worth going to see.

Loved this take from the boiler room perspective of the fateful journey. Well done Max on a fantastic performance and characterisation throughout. Well worth a visit.

There have been many dramatic incarnations of the Titanic story and this is easily one of the best. Telling the story from below the deck, this play is engrossing from start to finish. Max Beken gives a bravura performance. Unmissable (if not unsinkable!)

Outstanding!

Gripping, convincing and,I think, accurate.

What a tour de force by an excellent actor. Highly recommend

Moving story, telling the dramatic events on the Titanic from a different point of view. Amazing acting. I’d recommend this show.

Incredible show! Deserving of the sold-out studio and 5 stars. I went to both shows by the company (this and "Out of Woodstock") and both were beautifully written and accompanied by one of the most talented actors I've had the pleasure of seeing live. Cannot recommend enough!

Really interesting lesser known story. The acting was incredible, only one actor who portrayed multiple roles! We would definitely recommend seeing this show.

This was a excellent show. The lack of props were made up for by the excellent lighting of the stage, which gave the feel of the enclosed engine room. And what a great young actor.....drama, sadness and the bravery were all portrayed in a compelling performance. I would definitely recommend this show.

Beautifully imagined and delivered this is an insightful and harrowing piece that's well worth seeing.
Strongly recommend

Excellent one man drama. Created and held the desperation, fear, and tragedy of a familiar event. Hours after seeing thd show the horrors of that event as portrayed by the actor are still with me.

Superb writing and acting makes this a must see show. Telling the Titanic's story solely from the perspective of the chief stoker creates a dramatic tension you wouldn't think was possible with such a familiar tale. We had a massive age range in our group so can definitely say this show has broad appeal. Many thanks to Sadie and the other venue staff for their help with accessibility arrangements.

Superb story telling. Great staging and performance. Highly recommended.

Amazing one man show. Beautifully written and performed. A must see. The best show I have seen so far .

Excellent new writing and a show I will be recommending to all. Well deserving of the standing ovation. I’ll be looking out for this writer’s shows in the future.

Really held his own in this one-man show. Truthfully, I dozed off near the start because of a busy night before, but the story and acting was so engaging that it grabbed my attention back. A worth watch!

Outstanding acting. Riveting story. We gave him a standing ovation on his opening night. Sold out crowd.
Make this a must see during your fringe experience. You won’t regret it.

Interesting story, well told. Worth 50 minutes of anybodies time. 4 stars.