A story of love, of the great care and compassion of the people of Gander, of love found for some and lost for others, Come From Away doesn’t shy from difficult topics.
My parents always said that everyone old enough to be aware of it can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when the planes hit the twin towers on the 11th September, 2001. That’s exactly how Come From Away begins, with the residents of Gander, Newfoundland, recounting what they were doing when the news came through and 38 diverted planes started queuing up to land in their small town. The hit musical, written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, began as a student performance at Sheridan College, but has since travelled the world to critical and public acclaim, becoming one of the most loved shows of all time. After seeing it for the first time on opening night at the Liverpool Empire Theatre, once again directed by Christopher Ashley who brought it such success on Broadway, I understand why.
With an ensemble cast of twelve performers all playing more than one role, I was a bit concerned there wouldn’t be enough space to allow each character to shine or be developed as an individual. Sometimes all it took for an actor to change character was to put on a hat, such as Jamal Zulfiqar switching between Kevin and Ali, but the whole cast pulled it off remarkably, each managing multiple diverse accents, and I was amazed at how much individuality there was to each of the more than twenty-four characters, and with how much compassion they were all treated.
The set was no more than a backdrop of bare planks of wood and some tall trees stage right, calling back to the sparsely populated woodlands and logging communities of Newfoundland. Chairs moved around by the actors on set, often while singing and dancing, transformed the stage from a Tim Hortons, to a local pub, to the aisle of an airplane, to a school packed full of ‘guests’ with remarkable smoothness. The production is fast-paced and told almost entirely through song, with a runtime of 1 hour 40 minutes with no interval, but it neither felt rushed nor too long, largely thanks to the expert choreography of Kelly Devine and Richard J. Hinds that allowed for seamless character and set transitions.
Naturally with any musical the songs have to be showstoppers, and Come From Away certainly delivered. The power of twelve voices singing at once cannot be underestimated, and worked perfectly for the energetic but sometimes haunting flute-and-fiddle folk songs that told the story of how the residents of Gander opened their homes and hearts to more than 7,000 people who were stranded for five days. Having a live band on stage really made the whole production shine, and all the cast sang as well as they acted. The booming voice of Nicholas Pound as Claude and others was a standout for me, with Sara Poyzer also impressing with several long narrative solos as Beverley Bass, the first female American Airlines captain, and a few more light-hearted solos as Annette, a Gander local who swoons over the new men in town. Bree Smith’s ‘I Am Here’ as Hannah, a mother travelling alone and desperately searching for news of her son, was poignantly heartfelt and had me tearing up.
While it is ultimately a story of love, of the great care and compassion of the people of Gander, of love found for some and lost for others, Come From Away doesn’t shy from difficult topics; Ali, a Muslim man inspired by many real passengers including world famous chef Vikram Garg, faces discrimination based on his ethnicity and religion, with many of the other passengers and airport security alike suspicious of him. The gay couple Kevin and Kevin, and black passenger Bob, fear for their safety in this remote town, and Jewish and Muslim passengers struggle to find suitable food, but all form lasting bonds and leave an impression on the community. The ‘Prayer’ song, sung in multiple different languages as passengers from different religions pray, was a real standout moment for me. Even animal passengers weren’t forgotten, with devoted animal lover Bonnie, played by Rosie Glossop, taking care of cats, dogs, and a few rare Bonobo chimps. I laughed, I cried, and at the final bow the whole theatre was on its feet with rapturous applause. Come From Away has it all, and I think part of what makes it so universally touching is the care with which it tells real stories, always guiding us to think of the stranded passengers who still keep in touch with the residents of Gander today.