The final, tragic hours of the Titanic will be recounted in a musical which comes to Kent this summer.

Titanic the Musical is based on real people who were on the fateful voyage in 1912, and not the fictional characters of Jack and Rose portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the 1997 James Cameron film.

Some 1,517 men, women and children lost their lives when the "unsinkable" ship sank on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on April 14, 1912.

Titanic The Musical focusses on the hopes, dreams and aspirations of her passengers who boarded with stories and personal ambitions of their own.

All innocently unaware of the fate awaiting them, the Third Class immigrants dreamt of a better life in America, the Second Class imagined they too could join the lifestyles of the rich and famous, while the millionaires in First Class anticipated legacies lasting forever.

With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and a book by Peter Stone, the pair have collectively won an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, an Olivier Award and three Tony awards.

The original Broadway production won five Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book.

The show comes to the Churchill Theatre, Bromley from Monday, July 16 to Saturday, July 21.

Producer Danielle Tarento said: “We are really excited about bringing Titanic The Musical to the Churchill Theatre. It is a beautiful musical based on the story of real people."

She added: "The moment that sticks out in my mind is the lifeboat scene which breaks my heart every time I see it. It features a song called, We’ll Meet Tomorrow but we know only too well that isn’t the case. It takes my breath away every time.

"The biggest challenge hasn’t come from producing the show but people thinking the musical is based on the film when it couldn’t be further from the truth. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet’s characters were based on almost entirely fictional characters. Everyone who has seen the musical, even those who thought they were going to see the recreation of the film, have said they weren’t disappointed."

For tickets to the show call 020 3285 6000 or visit churchilltheatre.co.uk