Preview: Boiler Room Six: A Titanic Story at Newcastle Live Theatre

The award-winning one-man Titanic drama that took Edinburgh by storm arrives at Live Theatre, Newcastle, for two nights only

Boiler Room Six: A Titanic Story

Newcastle Live Theatre

Friday 17th and Saturday 18th April 2026

Tom Foreman Productions brings its critically acclaimed production Boiler Room Six: A Titanic Story to Newcastle's Live Theatre this April, as part of a sweeping national tour. For North East audiences, this is a rare chance to catch a show that has been generating serious buzz since it first appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 — where it sold out its debut run and walked away with the Derek Awards' Best Overall Show of the Festival.

The production tells the true story of Frederick Barrett, a stoker aboard the Titanic, and one of the working-class crew members whose extraordinary acts of courage in the ship's boiler rooms have largely gone unrecognised. Drawing on historical records and personal testimony, writer and director Tom Foreman crafts a gripping account of the vessel's final hours — giving voice not to the wealthy passengers who dominate popular retellings, but to the men below decks who kept the ship afloat long enough for others to escape.

“The script by Foreman is one of the best I’ve ever witnessed.”   — Scottish Field

It is a one-man show, performed entirely by Charlie Sheepshanks, whose portrayal of Barrett has drawn consistent praise from critics. Reviews have described Sheepshanks as “electric” (The Spy in the Stalls) and “made for this role” (The Independent), with the British Theatre Guide calling the production “a spectacular piece of theatre.” The show returned to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2025, where it amassed over 70 audience reviews with 100% positive sentiment.

Tom Foreman Productions has built a strong reputation for ambitious, character-driven new writing since its debut in 2021. The company’s previous productions include Swell, which won the Carol Tambor Award at the 2022 Fringe, and Out of Woodstock, which received a Mervyn Stutter Pick of the Fringe Award in 2024. Boiler Room Six represents their most acclaimed work to date, and the national tour — visiting more than twenty venues across the UK through July — marks a significant step for the company.

The Newcastle dates fall early in the tour, making Live Theatre one of the first venues outside London to host the production. With just two performances scheduled, demand is likely to be high. Following the national tour, the company will return to Edinburgh’s Pleasance for the 2026 Fringe Festival.

Tickets:

Boiler Room Six: A Titanic Story plays at Live Theatre, Newcastle, on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th April. For more information and to book, visit the website: https://www.live.org.uk/whats-on/boiler-room-six-titanic-story