A Bromley-born performer says it feels like a “full circle” moment to be performing inside the Churchill Theatre – a place she once sat in the audience and watched shows in.
Abi Hudson is starring in the new production Titanic the Musical, playing the role of a maid who worked aboard the “unsinkable” ship.
From the poorest passengers who scraped together enough money to buy a third class ticket, to the final hours after the RMS Titanic hit the renowned iceberg, the new musical captures the stories from the whole range of humanity aboard the ship, and why they were heading to New York City.
Titanic the Musical premiers at the Churchill Theatre today (March 16) and will be running at the Bromley hotspot until Saturday, March 18, 2023.
Abi told the News Shopper: “It feels so nice to kick off the show in my local theatre.
“This is my first professional job since I graduated from university so it feels like a full circle moment to be performing inside a theatre I used to watch shows in.”
For her role as a maid, Abi says she has had to do “extensive research” to understand how her chosen character would have behaved when she once worked on the RMS Titanic.
She added: “I had to research what it was like to be a member of staff on the ship.
“I think my character would have worked on lots of ships for the White Star Cruise Line, so going on to the Titanic wouldn't have been out of the ordinary.
Sign up to our newsletters to get updates sent straight to your inbox.
“But it would have been special because of the grandeur of the ship.”
Alongside playing a maid, Abi is set to cover three other characters in the show – third class passengers.
“These characters were Irish and were all travelling to America to get a better life for themselves”, Abi added, “which is why it’s all the more tragic”.
The cast have been rehearsing for just over a month.
The vibrant performer says she is feeling “excited” to begin the tour and can’t wait to be involved in such a “beautiful piece of theatre”.
Abi said: “All of the creatives have done such a wonderful job of telling the story of the Titanic.
“It’s so stunning and I am excited to share the musical with the public.
“I am looking forward to performing in places that are relevant to the story, such as Southampton – so many of the people here would probably have relatives that were affected by this event.
“The same goes for places like Belfast, Dublin, and Liverpool.
“Aside from the iconic movie, I didn’t know much about the Titanic until I started this job, so it’s been so cool to see the realness behind it.”
Abi told the News Shopper that she has some special guests visiting the Churchill Theatre to watch her perform in her Bromley home, including her parents, siblings and friends she grew up with.
Abi added: “It’s great because usually my friends wouldn’t be able to see me perform, but they can here.
“My family are so supportive; I wouldn’t have been able to go into this career if it wasn’t for their support.”
Tickets for Titanic the Musical can be bought here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here