COME FROM AWAY - AT THE ADC
Nancy Mitford was right: you can have love in a cold climate, and it does not get much colder than Newfoundland. Or warmer. That is where the musical Come From Away is set – the town of Gander to be precise – on 11 September 2001. With American airspace suddenly closed, dozens of aircraft already in the sky were diverted to the remote airport on Canada's eastern edge. Thousands of passengers bound for somewhere else found themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately, they landed in a small town that opened its collective heart to these bewildered travellers.
The musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein premiered in 2017 and has since become a worldwide success. Its ensemble cast – here numbering just fourteen – must play everyone from Gander locals to stranded passengers, and the show is conceived as a fast-moving piece of theatrical storytelling using the simplest of means. Stools become aircraft seats, buses, steering wheels and much more. Actors switch characters with the turn of a cap or the adjustment of a shirt. Songs flow seamlessly into dialogue; scenes dissolve and reform in seconds. It is a formidable challenge for any company.
Happily, Festival Players were in outstandingly festive form on opening night. Drawing on a formidable pool of local talent, they have assembled a company in which every performer seems perfectly cast. It would be unfair to single out individuals from such a strong ensemble effort. The strength here lies in the collective achievement: accomplished singing, convincing characterisation and lightning-fast transitions that give the production its irresistible momentum. That said, mention must be made of the passengers played by Holly Dawson and Matt Wilkinson – she the bold Texan divorcee, he the shy Englishman, a real-life love affair hesitantly blossoms amid the background tragedy. Theirs was a really touching relationship, some tears amongst the laughter.
The on-stage band led by Sam Kirby delivering a foot-stamping folk-infused score, was worth the ticket price alone. Behind them, a simple backdrop of sea and sky stretching to a distant horizon provided an effective canvas for evocative projections. The production skilfully directed by Justin Murray never loses sight of the humanity at its core. Based on verbatim interviews with passengers, crew and the people of Gander, the musical contains moments of genuine heartbreak – how could it not? – but also abundant humour. As thousands of unexpected guests descended upon their town, local residents set aside old grievances and differences to provide food, shelter and comfort for strangers who had, in Newfoundland parlance, "come from away".
This is a joyous production: beautifully sung, exquisitely acted and directed with tremendous pace, energy and theatrical flair. More than two decades after the events of 9/11, it remains a moving reminder that even in the darkest of times, kindness can still take centre stage. Love can triumph over the coldest night.
PHOTOS: PAUL ASHLEY
