Come From Away 🌎

#PRInvite #Gifted | "Somewhere in the middle of nowhere", you’ll find Come From Away making its Scottish Premiere at His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, landing here for an anniversary week. 

Star rating: ★★★★

Come From Away - a new musical putting pins in the map all around the world - landed in Aberdeen on Tuesday direct from the West End. The show was nominated for Best Musical at the Tony Awards in 2018, and was robbed, in my opinion. It later became Olivier Award winning for the same category across the Atlantic when it opened at the Phoenix Theatre in London. Come From Away explores a story which until now, has rarely surfaced in the mist and fog left behind by the September 11th attacks, and this is particularly poignant this week. This is a special show no matter when you see it; but as it embarks on its Scottish Premiere during the week of 9/11 in the Granite City, Aberdeen audiences are being treated to something that is a tiny bit more extraordinary.

Come From Away exposes the consequences of the 9/11 attacks for pilots who were due to land in the United States when the airspace closed for the first time in history. 38 planes were forced to land in Newfoundland, Gander - an island just off Canada - where the small island’s population more than doubled overnight. The ‘plane people’, otherwise known as the ‘come from aways’, are instantly vulnerable and in desperate need of safety and shelter. Without the knowledge of why they have been diverted to Gander, they hopelessly try to connect with loved ones in a time where the internet or phones were not nearly as accessible. It is a remarkable true story, which unearths something good, appearing at a time so devastating - and one that lives in the shadows of the terror attack which was felt at its epicentre in New York, and which rippled around the world. When I first learned about the show in its development, I was unsure how I felt about a musical being written about 9/11; but this is as much a story of 9/12, and the following days which come after. Woven throughout is the story of Beverley Bass - the first female pilot of an American Airlines commercial plane - who finds herself navigating through the hardest few days of her career.

This is my second time visiting the show, after seeing the European Premiere in Dublin with the Original London Cast before it opened in the West End. I was blown away by the true craft of this new piece then, and was once again swept away earlier this week. Missing from this production, however, is the revolving stage used in the Broadway, American touring and West End productions and this took me by surprise, having seen revolving stages on tour before. Aside from the music, the staging of Come From Away is its strongest aspect: fusing real gritty performances with a minimalistic set design by Beowulf Boritt. However, without the revolve, this becomes my biggest criticism of the touring production: the movement and technicality of how the stage is used on tour was not nearly as impressive as the productions which have come before. 

Steering the Creative Team is Director Christopher Ashley and Musical Staging Designer Kelly Devine who produce raw theatre at its finest. The musical is immediately more stripped back than other big hits - comprising of a few tree trunks, 3 tables, 14 chairs and the band being present on stage. When you see the stage for the first time, you may ponder over how the cast, 12 strong, can tell this story using such limited materials. But they do, and this is simply magic. The staging is complimented by Howell Binkley’s lighting design which is integral in taking us from various spots in Newfoundland: Tim Hortons, the bar, the Dover Fault - and inside the plane these passengers became stranded within for over 28 hours.

Penning the book, music and lyrics are Irene Sankoff and David Hein. The score, both musically and lyrically are genius and capture the hearts of the audience from the very first drum beat. The drums are the beating heart of this depiction of Newfoundland, and the orchestrations by August Eriksmoen soar with a real folk/rock element. The band’s presence on stage is clever, particularly during ‘Screech In’ where they join in on the action with the cast; and electrify the audiences at the end of the show during the playoff. The musical features large ensemble numbers constantly throughout, such as ‘Welcome to the Rock’, ‘Blankets and Bedding’, ‘Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere’ alongside standout solo number ‘Me and the Sky’ - for which the quick pacing of the show heartbreakingly does not allow for an applause. In fact, you will be so immersed in the story that you forget that you have rarely clapped throughout due to the constant fast pace and rising tension. This only means that when the cast take their bows, the audience rightfully scream and roar and this reception is delightful to see. The book, also composed by the songwriters, is heart wrenching - but equally hilarious and will have you laughing and crying at different times throughout. A common fault with touring productions, though, is the noise adjustment and further power from the sound could be welcomed to captivate the audience from the first chorus.

Due to the way the show has been crafted, there is an equal playing field for all actors who are all considered supporting cast members. There are no leads, and Come From Away at its core is an ensemble piece. Interestingly, each cast member rotates around 4 different roles each with subtle costume changes - creating a suspension of disbelief as they portray 7,000 passengers stranded on The Rock. The sheer efforts from the cast must be commended as they switch between costumes, characterisation and more impressively, accents and dialects - representing people from all around the world. Amongst the accents are Egyptian, general American, ‘Newfie’ (with an ode to Irish emigration) and a Scouse accent added in for the tour which had me giggling. These elements are so important in exploring the themes of xenophobia and racism, which unfortunately stemmed from the attacks - later causing a drastic spike of Islamophobia.

Standout performers were Mark Dugdale (a Come From Away UK veteran) as Kevin T, Garth and others; Kirsty Hoiles as Diane and others and Bree Smith as Hannah and others. Natasha J. Barnes was excellent as Janice and others and Amanda Henderson stole the show as Beulah and others. In the cockpit, and the one part I would naturally consider the lead for the show, was Sara Poyzer as pilot Beverley Bass, Annette and others. Poyzer has an integral role in the production, and a shining solo moment, but a poor enunciation when speaking and singing glossed over important phrases. Some of the other characters missed a spark and therefore the show lacked a little punch it needed at this performance, too.

Come From Away simply needs to be experienced by everyone. The award-winning musical shows beyond doubt that even in tragedy, something beautiful can still be found. It is even more heartwarming knowing that the characters you see fighting tooth and nail to comfort the ‘plane people’ are in fact real, still living today, and huge supporters for the show. A personal highlight for me was the real Nick and Diane liking a post of mine on X (formerly Twitter) a few years ago when I saw the show last.

Credits

Instagram links: @theatregramuk, @aberdeenperformingarts, @comefromawayuk

Review by Joel Simpson cc: theatregram@gmail.com

Production photos supplied by Aberdeen Performing Arts