“On the north east tip of North America, on an island called Newfoundland, there’s an airport. It used to be one of the biggest airports in the world, and next to it is a town called Gander.”
In a time when planes had no choice but to touch down and refuel mid-way through a journey, Gander Airport was widely used as a stopping point to assist planes in making it all the way to their final destination. Gander became a temporary home to many celebrities and heads of state as they spent long layovers in the town, the airport became so famous in fact that even Queen Elizabeth II herself paid it a visit. But despite this, the town remained for the most part unheard of.
After the attacks of September 11th, 2001, the entire US airspace was closed and hundreds of flights were diverted. 38 of these to Gander. The town took in 7,000 stranded passengers from all over the world. They kept them safe, looked after them and provided them with anything they might need for five whole days. Lives were changed and the town was never the same again. What was a fierce display of selflessness in a time of desperation was something unheard of by most of the world, until Irene Sankoff and David Hein got their teeth into the story.
Communicating a tale of extraordinary unity and togetherness, Come From Away embodies the characteristics of a small town that almost doubled in population overnight. As a cast of only 12 under the direction of Christopher Ashley, each person portrays a number of roles including at least one ‘Islander’ and one ‘Come From Away’. Through differing accents, costumes and mannerisms, each character is played so uniquely it becomes hard to believe that only a handful of people are on the stage. Not only are the audience made to feel like they are witnessing an entire town, the diversity and likeness of this company leave you relating to the characters and imagining yourself in their position. A connection like this with a show is not something that is achieved every day.
Flowing effortlessly from scene to scene, this 100 minute straight through performance evokes a reaction from audiences unlike any other. This exquisite cast have you crying, laughing, and your heart aching going through a myriad of emotions in what feels like no time. It really is a true display of first class acting. Rachel Tucker delivers a stand out performance as Captain Beverley Bass, a woman who made history as the first ever female pilot for American Airlines. Emma Salvo touches hearts as she portrays with rigour and attentiveness, a reporter given the arduous task of reporting amid a tragedy. While Robert Hands and Helen Hobson dazzle in their portrayal of real life couple Nick and Diane Marson, who met in Gander as stranded passengers and out of their meeting blossomed an unexpected love.
This show lives and breathes truth. It lives and breathes morals, kindness and lessons. The influx of every human emotion. Raw human emotion. Leaves you stunned, breathless, and wanting more. It leaves you realising how much potential humans have to do good, if only we could stop for a moment and just try. It is undeniable that Come From Away has a prominent position within today’s society. In such a divided world, this show is able to remind us of the way humans should behave and more importantly in London, how inhabitants of an island should behave. For 100 short minutes, Come From Away is able to bring together those whom are divided, and for even just a second instils in all of us that although we’re all different, we’re also all the same.
“Because we come from everywhere, we all come from away”
Chloe Rose
West End Rose 