Come From Away

On Friday 14th November I had the pleasure of attending Scarlet Musical Theatre Production’s ‘Come From Away’ on behalf of my husband Matt Hampson in his capacity as Noda District 6 rep. From before the opening drum beats the audience were pulled straight into this heartwarming story, as the cast appeared gradually into the stripped-back and minimalist opening number. With the audience seated either side of the performance space in Stiwdio Stepni, the cast were able to play to all of the room seamlessly as they moved around their space well. 

It was interesting to see a different take on the staging for this production, including the live filming of Janice’s scenes projected onto a large screen, emulating the news reports of the story on television. As the story enfolded through the musical numbers, what stood out quickly was the superb standard of singing from the cast- every lyric crystal clear and sung with purpose and conviction, leaving the audience no option but to listen attentively as the individual characters sung their stories. The character of Bonnie- played by Rebecca Lewis- was animated yet sincere, a likable character throughout, she convinced the audience that she was a no-nonsense ‘mother’ who advocated for the welfare of her animals fiercely. I enjoyed witnessing the friendship develop between Hannah (Jenna Barnard) and Beulah (Kim Darkin). Both roles were played with clarity and uniqueness, however the similarities in their stories were made evident  through the emotive performances given by both ladies. Ffion Moore as Janice, executed the logistics of the live filming well whilst also managing her lyrics and blocking. The character of Oz- played by Jed Davies was done so with enthusiasm and a friendly approach. The role is based on the real-life constable Oswal Fudge and Jed played the role of this Gander Police Officer well. 

One of my favourite moments of the production was ‘Prayer’, led by Jac Owens as Kevin T. It was set simply and sung so emotively initially by Jac, who was soon joined by the rest of the company. The placing of single candles in the centre of the room created a still and poignant moment of realisation and reflection. Indeed, Jac portrayed his character competently- his acting skills evident as Kevin T’s initial anxiety soon disappeared with the generosity of the people of Gander. The role of Kevin J -played by Brad Kennett- complimented that of Kevin T well, portraying his unwillingness to ‘fit in’ to Gandan life. Dionne James played the role of Bob convincingly, working to represent his journey of growth as he learned to love and appreciate the community around him. Claude, played by Matthew Tucker, was a quirky, likable Mayor. Matthew demonstrated that his character wasn’t afraid of hard work, confidently using the space available to engage the audience as he organised shelter and food for the stranded passengers. Matthew was funny and amiable and held audience attention with his witty movements and mannerisms. 

Diane, played by Stacey Harries, was done so with honesty and genuineness and I felt that Stacey captured the more mature nature of the character well. Her vulnerability as she was overcome with worry was transparent and sitting so close to Stacey as she sang really impacted as it persuaded the audience to empathise with her struggle between distress in thinking about her son, and elation at having fallen in love with Nick- played by Michael Aubin. Michael, an accomplished actor, convinced us early-on of the unexpected but definite connection between himself and Diane. Michael played this role with sincerity- transforming from work-focussed businessman to hopeless romantic with ease. The moment their hearts really met was realised in ‘Stop The World’, which was acted and sung lovingly as they navigated their unfamiliar situation. The pioneer pilot Beverley Bass was believably played by Vicky Davies- a powerhouse vocalist, she executed the notoriously- tricky ‘Me and the Sky’ with conviction and strength. Beverley was the voice of calm in the chaos and the determination and resilience of her character was evident throughout Vicky’s performance. 

Mention must also be given to the 5 additional ensemble members who took on parts of the storyline and contributed to the rousing, rich singing by the company- testament to the evidential hard work of Musical Director Bridget Radford. 

A very different take on a hard-hitting story of loss and love. Well done Scarlet Musical Theatre Productions.  

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