IT’S an irony that the legend has now become even bigger than the doomed ship herself.

Titanic sailed just once but her ghost rides the north Atlantic for all time. And this production by the One Off Performance Society certainly does the old girl proud, managing to somehow combine Hollywood and catastrophe with a deft turn of the tiller.

For this we have to thank the senior crew on the bridge. Director Phil Beeson sets a tense pace, while Sheila Bratt’s hand on the musical helm brings the whole story to life.

She skilfully draws the many threads of vocal talent together, like so many ship’s ropes, to ensure everything is plain sailing.

Throughout, the cast act out their roles as if their lives depended on it. Particular mention should be made of John Clay’s Captain Smith, constantly at odds with Ben Leeke’s Bruce Ismay, who must surely now be quite close to Hitler in the revulsion league tables.

Meanwhile, Michael Staiger as designer Thomas Andrews is a ticking bomb, growing ever more desperate as his great creation starts to slip beneath the waves.

A first class performance from second class traveller Graham Taylor, too. His ‘frontier gibberish’ take on an American accent plus the odd ad lib may have been slightly Carry On films, yet provided plenty of light relief.

Meanwhile, Lorna Tipple’s Kate McGowan became Worcester’s very own Celine Dion, both in character and voice.

Titanic: The Musical sails until Saturday, April 14. Don’t miss the boat.