BLOCKBUSTER movie Titanic – starring Leonardo di Caprio and Kate Winslet – is the second biggest grossing movie of all time.

But now the cast of Milton Musical Society is launching a musical version, backed by Stephen Bath, of Bath Travel, who is the great-nephew of the late Frank Prentice, one of the 705 survivors of the disaster.

Mr Prentice was a 19-year-old member of the White Star Line crew on the fateful maiden voyage which claimed the lives of 1,523 passengers and crew when the “unsinkable” ship collided with an iceberg in April 1912.

His pocket watch stopped when he entered the freezing waters of the Atlantic, and he never tried to restart it after his rescue.

Mr Bath attended rehearsals for the production which will be on stage at the Regent Centre in Christchurch between April 14 and 17 – and handed over a cheque for £2,000 to back the show.

First staged on Broadway in 1997, the musical is said to be both serious and entertaining and this version features some of the best singing and acting talent in the area.

The production, directed by John Teather and with musical direction by Lee Marchant, stars Max White as Capt Smith, Syd Young as White Star Line owner J Bruce Ismay and Lee Neal as ship designer Thomas Andrews.

Henry Campion plays Col J J Astor, Victoria Clarke is Alice Beane and Alex Cook is stoker Frederick Barrett.

Other players in the cast of 60 include Martin Mansfield, Michael Pickford, Suzanne Teather, Kim Thompson, Matt Tuddenham and Calum Hill as the lookout Frederick Fleet.

Mr Bath has agreed to introduce each performance – though he won’t be singing.

Bath Travel is the south’s agent for the Titanic Memorial Cruise which takes place in April 2012.