The remarkable story of how a small town on the edge of the Atlantic became a temporary home to 7000 stranded air passengers is celebrated in this charming and funny musical.
Come From Away starts on the morning of September 11, 2001, but some 1100 miles from the tragic events in New York. Instead we join the chirpy townsfolk of Gander, Newfoundland, with their Irish-twang accents, as they prepare for should be a normal day.
Soon, though, with American airspace shut down 38 planes are diverted to their local airport – once an important refuelling stop for long haul flights – with their thousands of passengers in need of support.
The dozen-strong cast swap between local and those that have ‘come from away’, focusing on a handful of characters and stories from among the thousands: a woman searching for news of her New York firefighter son; the strangers thrown together and finding love; a Muslim father, suddenly viewed as suspicious.
We also hear from the rookie TV reporter thrown in their biggest story on their first day; the vet looking after animals in transit – from dogs and cats to rare monkeys; the town mayor and the school teacher, suddenly trying to pull together emergency shelter.
The production keeps things simple: most of the songs are solos and there are only a handful of harmonies, and the simple set makes flexible use of chairs to represent rescue centres, airplane cabins, and school buses.
Despite the tragic catalyst for the story, it’s a very funny production with jokes in the dialogue and some witty lyrics.
It is a true ensemble production, including the live band that nestles just at the edge of the stage for most of the show but occasionally braves the limelight for bar scenes and impromptu cèilidh.
And it’s heart is exactly that – a cèilidh of a show, that seeks to be social, to bring you into its warm embrace and tell you a story. To entertain you, and send you on a little bit richer.
Come From Away continues at Norwich Theatre Royal until 26 October 2024.
