Carmel ThomasonA story about the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US doesn’t sound like a topic for either your typical feelgood musical or Christmas production. But ‘Come From Away’ is far from your average show.
It tells the true story of what happened immediately following the attacks on the Twin Towers when the US air space was closed, and 38 planes were diverted to an airport on the Canadian island of Newfoundland, almost doubling the population of the nearest town of Gander.
For 5 days these 7,000 visitors, or ‘come from aways’ as the islanders call them, were stranded in what first appears to be a remote and scary place. The musical tells of how both they and the locals coped with this coming together of languages and cultures from 95 countries across the globe.
On the surface it is a simple story about ordinary people stepping up in extraordinary circumstances to demonstrate remarkable hospitality and kindness. This simplicity is mirrored in Beowulf Boritt’s stage design, which transforms Lowry’s huge Lyric stage into a giant log cabin, with a collection of chairs as the main prop. Yet despite this sparseness, from the opening drumbeats of ‘Welcome to the Rock’ the stage feels full and alive.
Live musicians are on stage throughout, coming to the fore for some of the livelier bar scenes. The cast of 12 are terrific. This is a true ensemble piece with all actors playing multiple characters with such clarity and conviction that the audience is never left quizzing who it is they are watching at any one time.
The action moves at a fast pace which means that some of the emotion of the more difficult moments (of which there obviously were many) can feel lost, because within seconds we are back to jollity. Overall, however, a deep sense of the goodness of humanity shines through. It is this innate joy that has captured audiences worldwide, from its humble beginnings at a workshop in Sheridan College Toronto, to Tony award-winning success on Broadway, to London’s West End and now to Lowry as part of its first UK tour.
On Wednesday night some of the real people behind the characters joined the actors on stage at the curtain call. Claude Elliott who was Gander’s town mayor at the time leaves everyone present in no doubt about the importance of kindness, saying: “I’d like to see a theatre this size filled with our world leaders so they can see what the world can do when we all come together as one.”
It is a unifying message, and the warm audience response feels more than mere cheers – there’s a sense of love. Lowry is the final venue on this UK tour, so if you want your heart-warmed this Christmas, don’t miss your chance to join the islanders for a feelgood knees-up.
The real people who inspired the remarkable true story of Come From Away! 💙💛 pic.twitter.com/HCjk266GFS
— Come From Away UK (@ComeFromAwayUK) December 17, 2024
Come From Away is at Lowry, Salford from 3 December 2024 to 5 January 2025.
Martin Thomasson
Nic Dowling