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When Sting says he grew up in the shadow of a shipyard, he means it literally. At the end of his street in Wallsend, northern England, the Swan Hunter factory dominated the skyline. Each day thousands of workers filed past his house to labour on ships so big they obscured the sun. A royal visit sparked a childhood epiphany: watching the Queen Mother drive past in a black Rolls-Royce, Sting decided he didn’t want a life in the belly of a metal beast. He wanted something bigger, and he would find it: first as the magnetic frontman of the Police, then as a solo artist.

Now 74, with 17 Grammys to his name, the superstar is back in the shipyard – this time in Australia, in a renewed version of his musical The Last Ship. Sting takes on a leading role as foreman Jackie White, who is navigating the threat of the shipyard’s closure as he grapples with his failing health. Sting is joined on stage by none other than Reggae icon Shaggy, who brings warmth to the stage as the Wallsend Ferryman, who watches over Jackie.

The inclusion of Brisbane on The Last Ship’s international run – alongside cultural capitals Paris, Amsterdam and New York – marks a notable moment for Queensland Performing Arts Centre (Qpac) as it seeks to position the city as a global destination for the arts. Inside the new Glasshouse Theatre, the stage has become an industrial landscape, with towering metal scaffolding and the imposing bow of a vessel. The set, by renowned projection design company 59 Studio, is striking and immersive. The digital projections blend so seamlessly with the physical scenery that at times it is tricky to tell where one ends and the other begins.

Sting wrote the music and lyrics for The Last Ship, drawing on his 1991 album The Soul Cages and generations of family ties to the shipbuilding industry. The score moves through folk, ballads and choral numbers; fans will recognise songs like Island of Souls, All This Time and When We Dance.

Sting’s presence is a clear drawcard for the 1,500-strong audience. He brings a rugged authenticity to the role, though his performance is more understated than some of his castmates. His voice no longer has the power of the Roxanne era – unsurprising, given that was nearly 50 years ago. Shaggy brings his signature charm, though you’ve likely never heard him sing like this, stretching outside his reggae roots.

While the headline names may fill the seats, the wider cast sustains the production. Lauren Samuels stands out as Meg Dawson, the publican once left broken-hearted by childhood sweetheart Gideon Fletcher (Declan Bennett, in a role Sting loosely based on himself). Joe Caffrey is equally compelling as union leader Billy Thompson, bringing authority and presence to the role. The Last Ship is at its most effective when the full ensemble comes together. The choral moments are powerful and moving, reinforcing the central idea of collective strength.

The Last Ship was first developed in 2011 and premiered in 2014 to mixed reviews. This version includes new scenes and music, and updated characters. It starts slowly but picks up steam in the second act; Sting’s performance follows a similar trajectory. But the ending feels rushed, with too many threads tied up too quickly. A tighter narrative would strengthen the show – and trim its almost three-hour run time.

The central love story between Meg and Gideon is its weakest point; it is hard to root for a man who disappears for 17 years with not so much as a letter to the woman he loves, then returns expecting to simply pick up where he left off. The women of The Last Ship are mostly fierce, resilient and self-determining; the arc of Meg is at odds with that complexity and strength.

The Last Ship explores mortality, labour and identity, as well as the tension between tradition and progress. The shipyard becomes a symbol of a communal world built on shared pride and purpose. Though it at times leans toward cloying sentimentality, the musical still resonates with contemporary concerns around the erosion of secure work and the crucial power of collective action.

Sting once wanted to be like the ships in Wallsend, that, having launched out to sea, never returned. With hindsight, his view of the place he was once so eager to escape has shifted. “My community made me who I am. They gave me a sense of dignity, a sense of work ethic that I still have,” he told AP recently. “I wanted to thank my community and my parents, and telling the story is a way of doing that. When you escape a community to have a different kind of life, part of you wants to go back and make amends. So, this is my way of making amends.”

In The Last Ship, that desire is sincere and heartfelt – even if the storytelling doesn’t always meet its emotional ambitions.

• The Last Ship is at Queensland Performing Arts Centre’s Glasshouse Theatre until 3 May