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A review from 5D Music & Theatre writer Maria Robertson.
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A few years ago we saw a televised version of Come From Away and just loved it. It’s the story of a small town in Canada, next to Gander International Airport, where planes were diverted to during the aftermath of the 9/11 disaster. The people living there had their world turned upside down by unexpectedly having to care for many people and animals which they had not been expecting. The stories and friendships which came from this joint experience are both moving and inspirational.
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The choreography is second to none as characters change from one to the other and then to another and back again. Samuel Lilja, the dialect coach has done an amazing job, as you have characters playing, for example Daniel Crowder plays a Newfoundlander and an English man. Jamal Zulfiqar plays a homosexual American and a Middle Eastern chef. Each character is perfectly presented and it is easy to distinguish between them from just their voices. There is just one set backdrop, with actors moving things as needed, all in a seemingly seamless manner. A nice touch is that the musicians are to the side at the back of the stage so they are always part of the action, and when there is a party in the pub they come out and intermingle with the characters as would really of happened in the pub.
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The songs are intertwined throughout the story with fitting lyrics that explain more of what is going on. The book, music and lyrics were written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. There is a lovely piece when they are examining the different religions that find themselves on the island. Kevin starts singing the Christian hymn Make Me a Channel of Your Peace and then other religions sing versions in their own languages, showing how different cultures can come together through music. This is one of the things that makes me so passionate about music.
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I could keep going about this show all day because I absolutely love it. It is a wonderful story of how good can come from a such a terrible tragedy. Many of these people kept in touch with each other, and they even got back together 10 years later to celebrate those friendships. Come From Away is a brilliantly put together show, with a complete journey through the emotions over the course of the evening. The actors are all outstanding, working together so closely for the stream of choreography to work, and they do so in such a fabulous way. An Aberdeen audience can sometimes be a bit slow to give a standing ovation, but not for this show, everyone was on their feet as soon as it was appropriate. It was a full house but if there are tickets left I recommend you grab some quick or if you can catch the tour at a later location please do. You will not regret it.
Further information: https://comefromawaylondon.co.uk/
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Maria Robertson is the Chief Music & Theatre Writer for the 5D Pop Culture Website and provides reviews & coverage of local Aberdeen music & theatre gigs. She’s an experienced writer for numerous sources and is a self-confessed live gig addict ever since seeing The Counting Crows at the Barrowlands in 1994.
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