Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. Today I will be talking about my review of Come From Away, which I saw on 4th October at the Theatre Royal Nottingham, casted by Natalie Gallacher from Pippa Ailion casting.
This tells the true story of the 10,000 residents of Gander, a Newfoundland town where they welcomed over 6,500 people for five days after 38 planes were diverted following the events after 9/11. This is also relevant to this day as after the pandemic, the sense of community is now more important than ever.
This show was very ensemble heavy, so all of the cast had different roles, which I thought they executed really well. Normally I would talk through each actor that stood out to me, but what I’ll do this time is mention the real life characters and how their journey throughout this difficult time has changed their lives forever.
Hannah and Beulah:
It was nice to see two characters bond over the simple things in life. In this case Hannah and Beulah bonded over their kids who were both firefighters. despite Hannah’s son suffering a bad fate during the attacks it’s good to know that she still speaks to Beulah regularly, whether it’s a good day or bad.
Bonnie Harris:
Bonnie Harris was in charge of making sure the animals on the plane were safe and sound. And whilst it was sad to hear the passing of a female bonobos baby, I’m glad she had another one 10 years later and named it after the small town. It’s also an example of how it’s not just people who were affected but furry friends as well.
Nick and Diane:
Nick and Diane were a good example of how two people can meet and fall in love in the most unexpected of places. Despite the long distance I’m glad they could make it work. And especially during a catastrophic event like that, they could truly be the key to helping people going through difficult times ahead.
Ali:
During the show I did feel for passengers like Ali, who suffered a lot of prejudice after what happened. When he told the story of a strip search, you have to feel for him, but also showed appreciation for the people who looked after him. It also shows that you shouldn’t be so quick to judge, as especially to this day everyone is so quick to judge.
Kevin J and Kevin T:
Whilst some people were to find the positives in the situation, for some it only brought in more negativity. For Kevin J and Kevin T, it only made their relationship worse. But maybe it’s the wake up call they needed to realise that the romance was gone, which is a shame but sometimes when you know it’s not right, you know it’s not right.
Beverly Bass:
Beverly Bass is the true definition of girl power. During her song “Me and The Sky”, you can tell how much it meant to her to be a pilot, breaking barriers which include having an all female crew. And even though she is now retired, she will be remembered as one of the key inspiring figures in history during this horrific moment.
Janice:
I thought Janice was a brilliant news reporter. Given the fact that she was new, I could only think of how she felt when one of her first stories was the event that challenged Newfoundland forever. And I’m glad afterwards she knew what she wanted, as despite the big offers, one of which was from Oprah wimphery herself, she knew her place was in gander.
Songs:
The songs in the show were just as I expected brilliant. “Welcome To The Rock” sung by the whole cast was once again an ear worm song, “Me and The Sky” sung by Sara Poyzer was beautiful, and shows that the power of song can have a real impact on storytelling. “Stop The World” by Daniel Crowder and Angeline Bell really shows that Nick and Diane can’t live without each other, and I forgot how catchy “Screech Un” was until today. I also loved how the incorporated the titanic reference in that song and also in “28 Hours Wherever We Are” as it breaks the balance of the seriousness of the topic nicely. All of those songs really did help being the show together, and as seen below the band did a brilliant job at the music.
I don’t think I have any downsides to the show, as it was sold out on the last few shows, and for those that have seen it you can see why. But I can only feel for those who were affected by this life changing event. And I think it’s excellent to see lots of spectators still supporting those who have relatives of those who have been affected by it and even some people themselves who live to tell the tale. So I feel that just like Les Miserable and The Lion King, this show will go on for a long time.
Overall I would give the show a full house. Yes it’s a subject that’s sensitive to some, but a subject where community and spirit are what truly matters. And they’ve managed to balance it out with humour where appropriate and fantastic songs. That for me is the power of theatre, which my friend Ben also enjoyed.
And that was my review of the show. Let me know if you’ve seen it and give me your thoughts. It’s on tour until 5th January 2025, which yes may see a while but the final few days at Nottingham were sold out, so actually you don’t have long to book (and if you're seen it already you can see why). Please see the link below to see this show in a city near you.
Also based on the last picture, let me know if you think I've Kissed the Fish. For those that have seen the show already, you'll know where the reference comes in.
See you soon for another blog. Until next time…
This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)
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