The North American tour of The Last Ship, composed by and starring Sting, begins January 14, and will arrive at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., Friday, March 27 – Sunday, April 5.
The Last Ship is inspired by Sting’s 1991 album “The Soul Cages” and his own childhood experiences, tells the story of a community amid the demise of the shipbuilding industry in Tyne and Wear, with the closure of the Swan Hunter shipyard. Sting will star as shipyard foreman Jackie White and will perform the role at every performance.
When a sailor named Gideon Fletcher returns home after seventeen years at sea, tensions between past and future flare in both his family and his town. The local shipyard, around which the community has always revolved, is closing and no one knows what will come next, only that a half-built ship towers over the terraces. With the engine fired and pistons in motion, picket lines are drawn as foreman Jackie White (Sting) and his wife Peggy fight to hold their community together in the face of the gathering storm.
This personal, political, and passionate musical from multiple Grammy Award®-winner Sting is an epic account of a family, a community and a great act of defiance. THE LAST SHIP features an original score with music and lyrics by Sting as well as a few of his best-loved songs: “Island of Souls,” “All This Time,” and “When We Dance.” It is the proud story of when the last ship sails.
The tour is directed by Lorne Campbell, artistic director of Northern Stage in Newcastle, who directed the U.K. tour of the musical in 2018, as well as the Canadian premiere in 2019 (which also starred Sting). The production features costumes and sets by Designer59 Productions, sound design by Sebastian Frost, lighting design by Matt Daw, and movement direction by Lucy Hind. Rob Mathes serves as music supervisor and orchestrator with musical director Richard John.
Learn more at TheLastShipMusical.com.
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