The Last Ship Review at Theatre Royal Drury Lane London

After 13 years, multiple iterations and a world tour, Sting’s deeply personal musical, The Last Ship is finally berthed in the West End. Depicting the decline of the Wallsend shipbuilding industry and its effect on the community whose lives and careers it supported, The Last Ship, is spectacular, moving and somewhat bloated. The star power is strong, but some jetsam should have been left overboard.

Sting himself plays Jackie White, the husky-voiced foreman of the shipyard that dominates the entire community at the heart of the story. While Jackie struggles with increasingly dire health concerns, the Thatcherite Baroness Tynedale (Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong) announces that the government is ending its contract with the shipyard, essentially dooming it to closure. What follows is a, by now, familiar tale of 1980s British industrial decline and the angry, downtrodden workers fighting for their livelihoods. Their plan; to break into the closed yard and finish building the titular last ship. How that is supposed to actually help is anyone’s guess, but just go with it.

Into the troubled neighbourhood steps Gideon (Declan Bennett), a local lad who escaped the shipyard by running off to join the military. He now returns 17 years later and expects his past flame, Meg (Frances McNamee), to take him back immediately and start a life together. Complicating matters is Ellen (Hannah Richardson), the 16- year-old that Gideon didn’t know he had with Meg. Story threads unravel somewhat separately from each other, and never quite come together in a satisfying way. Emotional beats are frequent throughout and the characters are mostly endearing, with fine performances across the board, but it’s surprising that in 13 years, the narrative couldn’t have been tightened to carry a stronger through-line.

Of course, the big draw is Sting. It cannot be denied that the man has presence. While his voice may have gathered some gravel with age, he still knows how to sing (and write) a hauntingly beautiful ballad that will send a tingle down your spine. For all his megastardom, Sting’s Jackie White is a grounded, earthy character, complimented by a powerful performance by Jackie Morrison as his caring but ballsy wife, Peggy. Adding to the star-power is Reggae superstar Shaggy as the mythical, Charon-esque Wallsend Ferryman. However, while it’s pleasing to hear his iconic bass-voice singing more melodic fair than we’re used to from him, his presence is somewhat baffling and doesn’t really add anything than a knowing wink to his fans. Joe Caffrey as Union Rep, Billy Thompson, was a highlight performance for me, loading believable ire and fire into booming vocals and passionate speeches.

The songs range from stunning to serviceable. Folky-tinged heartbreak and footstamping protest numbers are all present, but come so frequently that sometimes songs blend together. For example, Gideon’s moving, bitter number ‘Dead Man’s Boots’ about his deceased father is followed so quickly by ‘When We Dance’, a touching duet between Gideon and daughter Ellen, that I felt I didn’t have time to absorb one before the other.

The spectacle of the show is to be commended. The set design and video projection by 59 Studio fills the cavernous Theatre Royal Drury Lane with a sense of industry and rust that you can almost smell. Dominating the space is the hull of the titular last ship, a constant presence projected across the back of the stage, with tasteful video effects that bring stars, skylines and religious iconography to the visuals as and when appropriate. The show looks and sounds incredible, making the almost 3-hour runtime enjoyable even if the story itself isn’t always as compelling.

The Last Ship is the kind of show that leaves one with maddeningly mixed feelings. I enjoyed it. I was moved. I was impressed by the sights, sounds and performances. I just wanted to feel more by the end of it. Perhaps if some extraneous story threads and a few samey numbers had been left as flotsam in its wake, the more streamlined vessel left would have made for smoother sailing.

The Last Ship plays a limited run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane until 03 October 2026.

Where I Sat

I sat in Royal Circle C28. This is a dream seat. A dead central view, practically unobstructed and only 3 rows from the front of the circle. This allowed for the full spectacle of The Last Ship to be taken in without any leaning or craning of the neck. Do not expect this seat to come cheap, but it is one you can book with absolute confidence of a fantastic view.

Have You Seen The Last Ship?

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Reviewed by Jim Dixon for SeatPlan, September 2026.