Sting and Shaggy lead a heartfelt revival of The Last Ship at Brisbane’s Glasshouse Theatre

Sting returns to his shipbuilding roots with a renewed production of his musical The Last Ship at Brisbane’s new Glasshouse Theatre. The show follows foreman Jackie White, played by Sting, as he navigates his shipyard’s closure and his own declining health. Reggae star Shaggy joins the cast as the Wallsend Ferryman, offering warmth and charm in a role outside his usual repertoire. The set, designed by 59 Studio, combines industrial scaffolding with digital projections to create an immersive experience. Drawing inspiration from his 1991 album The Soul Cages and family ties to shipbuilding, Sting’s music blends folk, ballads, and choral numbers, featuring songs like Island of Souls and All This Time. While Sting’s performance brings authenticity, his voice has softened over the years, and the love story between Meg Dawson and Gideon Fletcher feels underdeveloped. The ensemble shines in choral moments, emphasising themes of collective strength, labour, and identity. Despite some sentimentality and a rushed ending, the production resonates with contemporary issues of job security and community pride. Sting describes the musical as a way of thanking his community and reconciling with his past, making The Last Ship a sincere, if imperfect, theatrical experience.