Wow! Welcome to the Rock! Don’t let the chance to go and see this musical pass you by!
Come From Away is the award winning musical that tells the real life story of how planes were diverted on 11th September 2001 to Newfoundland. 7,000 passengers, from many different countries, spent 5 days in Gander and other nearby towns on the island, where the locals fed, clothed and looked after them until they could fly to wherever it was they were meant to be going.
This remarkable true story is told with such heart and feeling that the audience on Tuesday evening at the Ipswich Regent Theatre cheered, cried and jumped from their seats in one of the most moving standing ovations I’ve ever witnessed.
Apart from having heard about this musical when it first came to the West End I knew nothing of the true story of what happened in Newfoundland in the aftermath of September 11th. To say that something beautiful came from one of the most horrific tragedies in modern history is not an understatement, and the show conveys that love, warmth, generosity of spirit and just pure human kindness.
Many Newfoundlanders are of Irish descent and the actors did a splendid job of tackling the complex accents, which for the locals are a mix of Canadian and Celtic and for the ‘Come from Awayers’ are from all over the world and the United States. All the actors played multiple parts with the use of just hats, jackets and a change of voice but it never jarred and they moved seamlessly from local islander to scared and confused passenger or concerned but authoritative airline captain and crew.
The staging was also simple but so effective using very plain wooden tables and chairs as the seats of an aeroplane to the landscape of ‘the Rock’ itself and everything in between.
And the music – oh boy – the music – it’s stirring, emotional, energetic and captures the frustration, the horror, the desperation and the joy of the whole story. I didn’t know the score but that didn’t matter – this isn’t a show full of well known tunes – the music carries the story along and you need to listen carefully to the lyrics to as not to miss important plot points and some of the humour. Favourites for me were Welcome to the Rock, which is an absolutely epic song to start the show with and Me and the Sky , a solo number for Beverley, the airline Captain, which is soaring and inspirational.
At 1 hour and 40 minutes with no interval the cast are rarely off stage,being involved either as a main player or in one of the many group numbers, but they never falter or let the action drop. I also want to mention the choreography, which was tight and never too much, but had enormous energy and seemed to help build the tension just at the right moments.
I’m not going to single any one cast member out, as this truly is an ensemble show, and at it’s very heart is community and working together, a concept the cast displays perfectly. They are all exceptional.
Get a ticket and go and see this – I promise you, you’ll come out of the theatre with your faith in humankind restored and uplifted.
Come From Away is on a national tour and at the Ipswich Regent Theatre until Saturday 6th July with evening and matinee performances. For more information and tickets go to The Ipswich Regent Website or call the Box office on 01473 433100
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