Theatre Review: Come From Away, Wales Millennium Centre

Summary

Rating: ★★★★

Running Dates: Tuesday 2nd April – Saturday 6th April

Where to see it: Wales Millennium Centre

Duration: 1 hour and 50 minutes (no interval)

Keywords: Human Connection, Light-Hearted, True Story

Review

Come From Away is a show about human connection and the importance of interpersonal relationships in the face of tragedy.

Before walking into the theatre yesterday, I had never heard of Come From Away. After reading the blurb, I was curious to say the least – a story about passengers stuck in a small Canadian town in the wake of 9/11? Based on real life events? How can this make for a good musical? 

The set is simple, with tall trees around the cast members, yet effective - it really transports the audience into Gander, in rural Newfoundland, where the story is set. The play starts with a cheerful musical number which allows us to meet the locals of this small tight-knit community, from the mayor (Nicholas Pound) to big animal lover Bonnie (Kirsty Malpass), and judging by the audience's loud cheering after this first number I can immediately tell I will be entertained.

While in other plays it is common for one or two actors to stand out, Come From Away is undoubtedly a show where you not only feel as if no cast member outshines another, but also are convinced that it is precisely this cohesion that makes it work. Everyone's energy is fantastic, and it is marvellous to watch these characters bounce off of each other so easily. In addition, the way each cast member can portray more than one character flawlessly is a testament to their adaptability and talent. Nevertheless, I must give a special shout out to Beulah, played by Amanda Henderson, as I found her character to be the heart of the show.

Come From Away is a show about human connection and the importance of interpersonal relationships in the face of tragedy. Despite having 9/11 as background, the show mostly maintains a light-hearted and uplifting tone throughout. The audience is never explicitly told about the events that happened that morning and the play relies on our collective memory of that unforgettable day. There is a scene where the plane passengers finally watch the news and react to what happened in New York that day - I was eight and I remember exactly what that footage looked like. However, I do wonder if as Gen Z (and soon Gen Alpha!) start becoming a bigger portion of theatregoers some of this narrative will be lost and will cause the play to lose some of its impact. After all, that generation did not witness 9/11.

The joyous energy of the show is what makes it so popular – at the end, I left that theatre room hopping around to the tunes of traditional folk music, which added a lot of warmth throughout the play. UK and Irish audiences will recognise Newfoundland traditional folk music due to its resemblance to Irish folk music, and who can listen to that without a smile on their face? Nevertheless, I also left the show thinking about how the play potentially overlooks some more complex and serious topics around 9/11, especially those related to race and religion. For instance, Ali (Jamal Julfiqar), a Muslim man, is at times targeted by other passengers, and I found myself wishing this plot point had been more explored, potentially during the ten-year anniversary scene where passengers return to Gander.

All in all, Come From Away reminds us of the beauty of human resilience and what is achievable when a community comes together, which makes it a must watch. I would simply urge the audience to keep in mind the wider political context around the story.

See If: You like plays based on true stories.

Similar Plays: Once, The Band’s Visit

Last Impression: Joyous performance showing the importance of solidarity.

To get tickets for Come From Away click here

We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.

Written by Mariana Andrade