REVIEW: Never Let Go: An Unauthorised Retelling of James Cameron’s Titanic, Michael Kinnan, EdFringe 2026 ★★★★

What new insight could possibly be offered by yet another Titanic-inspired show? There’s the West End Musical and no less than five search result when you type ‘Titanic’ into the EdFringe search engine. Surely everything that needed to be said about the ship as well as its fictionalised film adaptation has already been said?

Well. Sometimes it’s not about what you’re saying but how you say it. And Michael Kinnan says every word with utter perfection. The concept is simple yet mind-blowing in its execution. One person reproducing James Cameron’s Titanic in just one hour, playing every character with precision and dedication. What could become a farce or satire is done with care and conviction, and whilst the result is at times incredibly funny Kinnan’s performance is genuinely moving and in every way honours, if not surpasses the source material.

The set is incredibly simple; a couple sheets of fabric hanging from the ceiling, a step ladder that somehow believably becomes the iconic ship’s railing. A hand-held mirror, a bucket with water and a block to lie upon is all Kinnan needs to recreate the elaborate movie set. It’s his performance that makes the objects what they are, makes us suspend belief and forget that he is balancing on a stepladder rather than hanging off the side of the actual Titanic.

Switching from one character to another at lightning speed, at times it truly felt as if there were several actors on stage, or as if the voices which were, in fact, just one voice, were overlapping. Each accent, each characterisation was done with precision and what felt like a deep respect for the original performance. Again, it would have been so easy to exaggerate for comedic effect but even when the audience was howling with laughter Kinnan seemed unaffected and continued his brilliantly precise performance.

I genuinely shed a tear when Rose, played by Kinnan, said goodbye to Jack, also played by Kinnan, at the end and the old lady, once again played by Kinnan, finished her story and threw the iconic necklace into the sea. The show finished with a beautifully camp rendition of My Heart Will Go On and a heartfelt speech by the performer highlighting the importance and power of drag in these current times.

My only criticism would be that the intro consisting of projected text and images felt a bit long and in no way prepared me for the brilliance I was about to witness. But aside from that, Never Let Go is an absolute must-see for any Titanic fans, and Kinnan gives what must be the best performance I’ve had the honour of witnessing at this year’s Fringe festival.

Recommended Drink: Slushie.

You can catch Never Let Go: An Unauthorised Retelling of James Cameron’s Titanic at Big Belly @ Underbelly, Cowgate August 18, 21, 25, 28 & 30 at 20:00 (60 minutes). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Online Box Office.