Come From Away

Come From Away UK Tour 2024/2025
Book, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff & David Hein
Directed by Christopher Ashley
The Lowry, 15 December 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

7,000 Stranded Passengers.  One Small Town.  A Remarkable True Story.

Winner of Best New Musical awards across the globe, Come From Away shares the incredible real-life story of the 7,000 air passengers from all over the world who were grounded in Canada during the wake of 9/11, and the small Newfoundland community that invited these ‘come from aways’ into their lives.

As my musical theatre choir are singing a medley of the show’s songs next term, when I learned that it was coming to The Lowry, I had to go and see it. The theatre were offering drastically reduced tickets on certain showings, and I managed to get a ticket for just £10 (plus booking fee). And I’m really glad that I made the effort.

The show has just the one backdrop, with settings being depicted by lighting and moving the chairs around. This is far more effective than it might sound – the clever oval lights thrown onto the cast sat in rows immediately puts an airplane in your mind. The pared-down setting also means all attention is on the cast… and the incredible characters they play.

While some characters are fictional, others are based on very real people. There’s the first female American Airlines captain who lost a colleague, the mother of a New York firefighter desperate for news of her son, the quick-thinking town mayor who galvanised a shocked community into action, and the eager local news reporter who realised the human cost behind the headlines.

Some of the narrative isn’t easy. One character is an Egyptian Muslim and the mistrust displayed towards him is an uncomfortable reminder of the racism that has prevailed since 9/11. A relationship breaks down under the pressure of being trapped so far from home. Anger erupts at one point, almost leading to a bar brawl. This is the reality of those days following.

However, there is also the incredible response of the local people. How they organised places to sleep and eat and shower. How they comforted thousands in their fear and grief, all coming together in the truest sense of “community” there is.

All of this is set to toe-tappingly glorious music. Every song is flawless, telling the story as much as the narrative. The music is provided by a fabulous live band who get their own mini show at the end. The whole audience was on their feet, clapping along.

The cast is incredibly personable and they draw you into the performance until you almost feel like a part of it all. The addition of occasional fourth wall breaks adds to this intimacy. It’s a small cast, with each actor playing several parts, identifying those with the addition of coats and hats. As a fat geek, I was delighted to see several plus-sized actors on stage. That doesn’t happen any where near enough.

While Come From Away runs the gauntlet of emotions, it’s by-and-large heart-warming and incredibly uplifting. It runs 110 minutes and that seems to go in a flash. Honestly, if you love musicals and get the chance, go see this show. You won’t be disappointed.

Come From Away is at The Lowry until the 5th January 2025

Come From Away