MusicalReview

Come From Away – Theatre Royal, Norwich

Reviewer: Lu Greer

Writers: Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Director: Christopher Ashley

In what absolutely does not sound like the formula for a musical, Come From Away is based on the real life events in Gander, Newfoundland, in the direct aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001. On that day all United States airspace was closed, and Canada offered a safe harbour for flights bound from Europe, which included some seven thousand passengers landing in Gander, which only had a population of nine thousand to begin with. And yet, this is a story of sharing cultures, languages, and experiences in what amounts to an exceptionally and unexpectedly joyous evening.

The show is comprised of a twelve strong cast who all are on stage for the majority of the performance, along with a live band. The musicians play a combination of modern and traditional Irish instruments, in a nod to the deep Irish routes of the town and create a wonderful atmosphere and accompaniment to the twenty plus songs of the musical. The band are just as much part of the cast, and the moments they take centre stage are some of the highlights. Of the twelve actors on stage, it would be almost impossible to pick a standout. Each takes on a multitude of roles and personalities seamlessly and becomes entirely each of the many characters they portray. It would be remiss however not to mention Dale Mathurin whose most notable character is Bob, a New Yorker who finds himself staying with the Mayor of a neighbouring town, and Nicholas Pound both the Mayor of Gander and of all the other towns. Both of them separately create characters who balance humour with a depth of feeling, but also have some excellent comedic timing when they’re together.

The set (Beowulf Boritt) is and lighting (Howell Binkley) are well thought out here, with a fairly basic and bare set fulfilling every requirement from Tim Hortons, to a lookout, to an aeroplane, in a way that works easily with the performance instead of distracting from it. The use of chairs and tables as various items throughout works well and means that the audience stays focused with the cast throughout.

While this show is about community and coming together it also manages to balance some of the reality of the trauma of the event. Just because a town was full of kind and helpful people doesn’t mean that the displaced people were all happy, and it doesn’t mean that everyone went back to normal after their week or so trapped on the Rock. The way people struggled and the way the world changed is still handled carefully without it becoming the main point of the show.

Come From Away is a musical about the impact of 9/11 on a group of people. It’s a musical about displaced people afraid and struggling. And it’s a musical about the good in people, and the power of community, and the beauty to be found when you welcome the world.

Runs Until: 26 Oct 2024

The Reviews Hub Score

Beautiful and Joyous

Show More
Photo of The Reviews Hub - South East

The Reviews Hub - South East

The South East team is under the editorship of Nicole Craft. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.

Related Articles

Back to top button
The Reviews Hub