Come From Away tells the true story of the 7,000 passengers on the 38 planes redirected to Newfoundland, Canada after the American airspace closed following 9/11 – and the residents of the small town of Gander who take them in with open arms. It is a beautiful premise, a story of community and displacement, finding home away from home, and connecting with people amidst huge tragedy. Come From Away plays at the Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 1st June.

Perspective One: Hannah Dalgliesh

The spectacular cast of characters includes an eccentric mayor (Nicholas Pound), a news reporter on her first day (Natasha J. Barnes), an enthusiastic school teacher (Amanda Henderson), and a woman who seems to love animals more than her own children (Rosie Glossop), to name a few. They are extraordinarily choreographed, a group who are seamlessly intertwined with each other’s lives, and whose kindness quite sets them apart from anyone else. Used to enduring harsh winters and fierce storms, their stoicism and bravery immediately transforms into a phenomenal community effort to help. The stage is filled with a community transforming their homes, schools and town buildings into shelters, desperate to offer comfort and welcoming hundreds of people who don’t speak the same language.

The soundtrack is stunning, from solos and incredible character development to heart-wrenching group numbers that had many of us in tears. In the song ‘28 Hours,’ a particularly beautiful moment finds pilot Beverley (Sara Poyzer) singing a phone call to her husband, asking him to show their children where she is on their map at home and telling him repeatedly, ‘I’m fine, Tom, I’m fine.’ There is palpable tension; the heartbreaking reality of all the phone calls that were made following 9/11 – and especially the ones which were never answered – comes to life on stage. Another especially poignant moment comes when one of the Newfoundlanders is trying to help a couple whose language he does not know; he uses his knowledge of Bible numbering to find a verse with words he can share to reassure them in their own tongue. The smallest kindnesses in this performance often mean the most.

You cannot possibly review this show without praising the truly brilliant live band, led by musical director Andrew Corcoran, who linger at the edges of the stage throughout, charging each song with emotion, perfectly adapting to dialogue and challenge in the story. Their talent is astounding and received a thoroughly deserved standing ovation.

My favourite storyline is that of the two women who are mothers of firefighters. One of them, Hannah (Bree Smith), is desperately trying to reach her son in New York – he is at Ground Zero, and her repeated phone calls as the story goes on become increasingly frantic. Newfoundlander Beulah (Henderson) waits with Hannah as she sits by the phone day and night, waiting for her son to call. These connections between people always surface in the most extreme tragedies and are emblematic of the kindness of humanity.

There is much joy and comedy to be found too, from Brits seeing a moose in the road for the first time, to the discovery of fish and cheese recipes. The cast members balance this difficult tightrope between comedy and tragedy with exceptional nuance and empathy. It is a wonderful thing to behold, and a story that will stay with me for a long time.

Rating: 5/5

Perspective Two: Ilina Jha

Not all true stories can be turned into a good musical, but Come From Away is certainly one of the successes. The opening number sets the scene perfectly for the show – a foot-stamping, cheerful number called ‘Welcome to the Rock’ introduces us to the tight-knit community of Gander. The moment when the residents, going about their normal lives, turn the radio on is pivotal – the script does not need to tell us what they hear. We all know.

Come From Away runs for one hour and 40 minutes with no interval, but this show does not let the pace drop—your attention is kept continuously. One of the key stories is that of Nick (Daniel Crowder) and Diane (Kirsty Hoiles), two passengers from the same plane who fall in love over the course of their five days in Gander. Crowder and Hoiles perfectly capture the tentative excitement of two people falling in love, as well as the anxiety over whether it will work out (Nick lives in England, while Diane lives in Dallas), and their sorrowful guilt over having found happiness in the wake of one of America’s greatest tragedies. Other stories combine the humour and tragedy of Come From Away. The couple Kevin T (Mark Dugdale) and Kevin J (Jamal Zulfiqar) worry about being accepted as a gay couple in Gander, but find unexpected warmth and kindness in a local bar. However, their differing reactions to 9/11 cause conflict between the two. Meanwhile, Bob (Dale Mathurin) at first distrusts the hospitality of the Newfoundlanders, fearing for his life and belongings, before finally accepting the residents’ generosity and drinking copious amounts of their Irish whiskey.

What makes a musical great is, of course, the music – Come From Away understood the assignment and then some. Combining comedic and tragic elements in equal measure, many of the songs are performed by the whole cast; however, there are some fantastic solo numbers, including ‘Me and the Sky’ so brilliantly performed by Poyzer and other female members of the cast. The live musicians onstage emphasise the community atmosphere of Gander. After the cast have taken their final bows, the musicians come onstage and perform a jolly, crowd-clapping number that lifts the spirits of the audience.

Come From Away is an Olivier and Tony Award-winning musical for a reason. In a show that combines tragedy and comedy, there are both tears and laughter in this most moving story of humanity. As the mayor of Gander says: ‘On 9/11, we saw the worst that could happen, but around 7,000 people in that tragedy saw the best in humanity.’

Rating: 5/5

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