Titanic

Sunday, 15 April 2012, 9:00PM – 10:00PM

Titanic, Sunday 14th April 1912. Mrs Widener’s party are enjoying their dinner in Gatti’s Restaurant. In the First Class saloon Lightoller chats to Dorothy Gibson, and Molly Brown sympathises with an affronted Grace Rushton over her omission from the Wideners’ dinner party. Jim and Mary prepare for bed, with Jim still angry at Lubov’s effrontery and Mary dreaming of a new life in New York. On the bridge Officer Murdoch is maintaining the ship’s speed, but is not happy with his orders. Paolo takes Annie to meet his brother Mario. Although Annie still hasn’t said yes to his proposal, the brothers agree that her willingness to meet is a good sign. 

In her cabin, Grace Rushton is fretting about her dog. Back on the bridge, Officer Moody gets a warning from the lookout of an iceberg dead ahead, but too late for Murdoch to do more than avoid a head on collision as it scrapes down the ship’s side. John Batley tells an unimpressed Muriel of his encounter with the iceberg on deck. Guggenheim is in bed with his French mistress Mme Aubart when her maid bursts in and announces hysterically that they’re all going to drown. 

The Duff Gordons make their selfish escape in a near-empty boat, much to Hugh’s anger. Officer Wilde tells his stewards to lock the cabins to prevent looting. In doing so, they inadvertently lock in Watson who’s in the Mantons’ cabin searching for her father’s book. Amidst the chaos on deck, Harry and Georgiana share a brief moment together and she tells him that she loves him. Barnes comes to Watson’s rescue, kicking at the cabin door until a passing steward unlocks it, whilst threatening to report Barnes for damaging White Star property. 

Barnes has Watson’s book – he has mended it and was going to give it to her as a gift. Grace Rushton is still refusing to board a lifeboat without her dog when Astor appears with Suki and his own dog Kitty, amongst others. He has found and released them. In her gratitude, Grace takes Astor’s dog as well as her own and finally boards the lifeboat, briskly dismissing the admonishments of Officer Boxhall that dogs are not allowed. 

On the Promenade Deck, Theresa flees from her lifeboat after overhearing Murdoch tell Hart that it will split if any more passengers are loaded. Jim pursues her, as does Lubov at Mary’s urgent pleading. Once below decks they split up, whilst Mary, clutching her remaining children to her, is rowed away from the ship. Officer Murdoch, in danger of losing control, fires his pistol to quiet the crowd. John pulls Muriel away, but she is fast losing heart. 

Barnes and Watson join the Mantons. Barnes gives Watson an envelope to open later. Jack Thayer and another youth discuss the safest way to get off the ship without a lifeboat. Louisa is about to board the last of the boats when she has second thoughts about going without Hugh. Paolo learns from a stoker of his brother’s fate and races off to find him. Louisa is still hesitating but Hugh persuades her that her duty lies with her daughter. In return, she promises Hugh that she will care for his other illegitimate daughter, who she’s known about all along. Murdoch orders Lowe to take charge of the boat. As it’s lowered, Ismay steps in. 

Paolo finds the cabin in which his brother is incarcerated with the other Italians, but the water is rising and the door is locked. He chances upon Lubov and begs him to help. Lubov still has the piece of wire Watson gave him to open the jewellery case. After several desperate attempts underwater he manages to pick the lock and release the prisoners. Murdoch reports back to a sombre Captain Smith. Bitterly regretful of his hubris, the Captain is determined to go down with his ship. As is the designer Thomas Andrews, and the sublimely debonair Benjamin Guggenheim. Deep in the bowels of Titanic, Jim finally locates his terrified daughter. Wrapping her comfortingly in his arms, he settles down to await their inevitable fate. 

Paolo and Mario reach the deck and jump, as does Jack Thayer. Hugh, Lightoller, Harry and the Batleys are amongst those trying to free the last collapsible lifeboat when they’re all washed overboard, along with Bessie Allison and her family. Mario has made it to the upturned collapsible and calls desperately for his brother Paolo. Behind him, with a terrible sound of rending metal, the stricken liner breaks in two. Its stern rises up out of the water, towering over the survivors like some mythical sea monster, and finally sinks below the surface. 

In the boats, the survivors can hear the cries of those in the water. Louisa and Georgiana are determined to go back, and along with Officer Lowe override the objections of the more nervous passengers. But first Lowe must link two or three of the boats into a makeshift pontoon and transfer some of the passengers to make room. 

Despite the pleas of Lady Rothes and Mrs Widener, the seamen in their boat refuse to go back. And the Duff Gordons show no enthusiasm to hunt for survivors in their boat either. In the water, John Batley desperately searches for Muriel. Lowe carefully transfers his passengers to empty one of the boats. As he does so, one of the women turns out to be the Chief Steward. Lightoller struggles onto the upturned collapsible with the help of Mario and despite the reluctance of some already aboard as it’s becoming increasingly crowded. 

Back in their lifeboat, Molly Brown, Lady Rothes and the other women have lost patience. On the upturned collapsible, now precariously full, Jack Thayer is pulled aboard to replace a dead man. Lightoller leads them in the Lord’s Prayer anxiously awaiting rescue from the life boats.