Come from Away

I was honoured and felt privileged to attend a performance of the Cornish Premiere of your musical Come from Away.  The writers wrote the award-winning piece after spending time ‘in Gander during the 10th anniversary of 9/11 in 2011, collecting stories, conducting interviews, and reviewing testimonials. Although aware of the musical and some of the musical numbers notably ‘Welcome to The Rock’ and Me and ‘The Sky’, I had not watched it before so I was grateful for the information included within your programme about the basis of the story. I found myself waiting with your enthusiastic audience in the foyer of the theatre with anticipation of what was to come.

Enormous accolades must go to your director Kathy West and assistant George Turner for creating this complex piece of theatre. Their clear vision and scrupulous attention to detail ensured that every member of the cast knew and understood their role within the whole piece.  There was not a static or unplanned move, every gesture, every head turn, every chair or table move had purpose.  Any props that were used were seamlessly included in the dialogue. This was truly a tour de force piece of theatre.

The set design was a relatively minimalist design but was extremely effective. The back wall comprised of horizontal wooden slats of on the back wall with a black star lite curtain behind it. On stage right there was a flap which represented the cargo bay which Bonnie used effectively. Andy Martin’s sets always have added detail from the sprigs of grass set on the extended front of the stage to the cylindrical posts placed on either side of the stage with plant life around their bases and growing up them seemed to evoke the woodland around Gander. The rustic features continue on front of the apron. The central section contained a selection of different wooden chairs, an office chair, a metal chair and two tables. The scene changes were seamless the ‘chairography’ used by the cast must have taken many hours to perfect to such a professional level. The sense of place created by the various positioning of items took us to an airplane, a school hall, a bar, religious institutions, outdoor vistas and even a bus. The scenes moved with clear purpose and pace, any addition props were added into the moves

The lighting was provided by a variety of lights hung on a bar across the front of the stage including two follow spots, eights lights above the playing area and three positioned onstage left and right. The lighting design was excellent with them shifting with faultless ease to enhance the transitions between the interiors of airports to outdoor beauty and intimate to celebratory scenes. I thought using the strings of fairy lights above the band worked well.

The bass bins and additional speakers were set at either side of the stage. The sound design created by James Clarke ensured that the radio mics that the twelve members of the cast who portrayed multiple characters wore, were set at a level that each could be easily distinguished and made the audience feel part of the performance. His excellent skills also guaranteed a brilliant balance between the band and the vocals. I feel this may have been achieved by positioning them on the same as the cast. Under the talented direction of Nick Long the quality of vocal projection in both solo and ensemble songs was superior.  He had evidently taken time to ensure all the harmonies were on point, emotion evident and tension included.  Under his direction the 8-piece band, many of which were in view throughout the show, expertly handled the various Celtic/ Irish styles of music from foot stamping folk rock to reflective ballads. It was great to see the players of the fiddle the ugly stick taking part in the jig. The utter joy and power of the music made sure the audience was fully immersed in the story and created a remarkable experience.

Come from Away was not a traditional musical with lots of large showy dance numbers but certain musical numbers within the production leant themselves to choreographed routines. Your production team ensured those used had been well rehearsed and those involved did so with accurately with enthusiasm.

The costumes used for the performance were carefully chosen and captured the everyday lives of the people involved in the story. The cast I understand provided their own outfits which fitted their characters and they changed items mostly on stage when needed and to mark different characters. Specialist items had been created by your costume department to delineate specific characters or events. It was great to see that appropriate items had been sourced when scenes were related to explicit religious or ethnic issues.

The auditorium lights were dimmed, lights on the stage ignited, instruments were raised, and the energetic cast exploded on stage and delivered a powerful rendition of ‘Welcome to the Rock’. This set the standard of the performance and the energy of the first number set the standard for the entire evening.

Beverley was perfectly characterised by your actor. She demonstrated a gamut of emotions, her professionalism as the female captain of American Airlines dealing with issues related to the loss of her colleague, the passengers and the grounded plane and her resilience as a wife and mother when conversing with Tom and her children. Her incredible delivery of ‘Me and the Sky’ was a vocal masterclass and showed the great versatility of this player.  It was lovely to see her delivery a lighter character in the teacher Annette working with Beulah to ready the school and her swooning over the Captain Bristol had the audience in stiches. A standout presence from beginning to end.

Claude the well like mayor of Gander was brought to life as an approachable, confident, compassionate character. He enjoyed his work and was used to sorting out problems in Gander such as negotiating with Garth the union rep of the bus drivers’ strike, but had never had to deal with something of this scale before. With determination, thinking outside the box and gentle persuasion he managed all the issues that arose. From his sonorous opening words to his final monologue his performance was outstanding. His portrayal of Derm the mayor of Appleton with the addition of a bucket hat was able to change the views of Bob.

Oz half of Gander’s police force was well depicted by your player he took his duties seriously especially when motorists were speeding.  He had a down to earth, friendly manner and was prepared to help in any way he could as his numerous trips to Shoppers demonstrated until floored by the final request by Beulah.  He had a powerful voice which came into its own with his beautiful delivery when he was the Orthodox Jewish Rabbi.

Beulah was a joy, a no nonsense headteacher who used her organisational skills to assemble bodies and goods to ensure the unexpected addition of nearly 700 strangers to Gander were looked after. Using empathetic body language and sincerity she showed her concern to Hannah who was desperate to find information about her son. This then developed into a wonderful friendship with many ups and downs.  She was also rock for Ali supporting him in her own way.  With perfect timing her well-rounded hard-working character with fantastic vocals resonated throughout. ‘My Heart Will Go On’ was a lovely comic moment.

Bonnie the SPCA worker was able to show her true frustration with those around her who fobbed her off when she questioned them about the likelihood of animals being in the landed planes. She was a no-nonsense character and the animal’s welfare was her main concern; against the rules she discovered nineteen who required her assistance including two rare Bonobo chimpanzees. Her joy at working with the animals was palpable and goodbye superbly delivered.

Firstly, can I say it was wonderful to see the actor depicting Hannah back where she belonged. She had the most poignant role to play, a mother desperate to locate the whereabouts of her son Kevin who is a firefighter back home in New York.  She was able with sensitivity to juxtapose between vulnerability and strength and the audience were led to the inevitable outcome. Her charismatic acting and expressive vocals were outstanding. This was added by the brilliant friendship she developed with Beulah.

Kevin T the head of an environmental energy company in Los Angeles was going on holiday with his boyfriend Kevin J when they were stranded in Gander. Initially warry of the reaction of the population in Gander to a gay couple he warmed to them and decided to become more outgoing, his journey appeared transformative and his relationship with Kevin J became strained. His lead in ‘Prayer’ was one of the highlights of the show.  As Garth the union boss he created a driven man who backed his workers completely but the situation altered their opinions. He added suitable gravitas to the President’s speech.

Kevin J played the part of boyfriend and ‘sexy-tarry’ to a tee. He was unhappy about the situation they found themselves in and in many ways appeared to act like a ‘spoiled child’ who didn’t get his way. He couldn’t understand why his boyfriend was reacting like he did to certain issues and actively tried to find a way home.  He showed a softer more caring side when speaking to his family in Brooklyn.  As Ali he was outstanding. He faced Islamophobia, suspicion and hostility from passengers and the authorities all of which he tackled with grace and generosity. His body language and calm manner following his ordeal related in ‘The Edge’ show the versatility of this actor.  

Diane is depicted initially as an anxious divorcee from Texas but we soon find out that she is extremely worried that her son may have been flying at the time of the attack. When she establishes that he is safe she allows herself to discover a more adventurous carefree lease of life.  She bonds with Nick on the plane and their natural chemistry strengthened their relationship which eventually led to marriage. It was wonderful watching their closeness develop through many awkward, playful moments and events.  Excellent stage craft and wonderful vocals ‘Stop the World’ was poignant caring love song expressing expectations.

Nick is a diffident, polite gentleman English oil engineer whose main focus is his work, he travels a great deal and was flying to the United States for a conference when he was diverted to Gander. He finds interacting with strangers especially women very difficult and his tentative connection with Diane on the plane is hesitant although he mistakenly thinks she is married.  Nick’s likeable if slightly awkward manner was enhanced by his connection with Diane who was able to subtlety captures the heart of this vulnerable, gentle, kind man. The connection between the two was heartwarming and their duet ‘Stop the World’ was beautifully delivered. Her created a caring character as Bonnie’s husband Doug.

Much of the preconceptions and humour of this piece are based on judgemental attitudes whether grounded on religion, skin colour or conflict-related anxiety. The character of Bob demonstrated many of these issues. He was suspicious of everyone fearing that his wallet would be stolen or he would be shot. After being taken in by the mayor of Appleton and developing a taste for Irish whisky this New Yorker gradually loses his scepticism and embraces their generosity. This actors’ portrayals of the suave, self-assured Captain Bristol was a great comic moment and the representation of Muhumuza with the aid of a body frame and rod arm dress in authentic costume was inspired.

What a day to start a new job as a local TV reporter. Janice was literally thrown in at the deep end, she was new to Gander, very eager to prove her abilities and finds herself co-ordinating the issues that arose.  Your actor created a brilliant connection with the audience often delivering reports during tense scenes. She developed from a rookie reporter to a confident journalist, the glue that keeps the story going, relaying information on how the Gander community’s kindness and support altered the views of the unexpected visitors. As one of Captain Bass’ flight attendants she tries not to let her fears get in the way of her passenger care.

Come from way was a true ensemble piece with the twelve members of the cast swapping with ease between a wide variety of characters. As expected, there were many heart-breaking moments but these were interspersed with flashes of joy, two that stood out were the ‘cleaning cardiologists’ and ‘becoming a Newfoundlander with the jig’.  The singing was phenomenal throughout and the full company shone in ‘Welcome to the Rock’ and ‘Screech In’ and ‘Prayer’ was a touching ending to act 1. The audience’s response to this performance was totally deserved. Each member of your team brought their own unique talent, the vocals outstanding, the pace unbelievable it was exceptionally remarkable. Many, many congratulations to all involved.

Disclaimer 

Any observation made by the reviewer can only be based on what she sees at the performance in question.  The reviewer may have received information in advance of the performance and it is inevitable that his assessment will be affected by that knowledge. 

The NODA Representative’s intention is to give an objective critique of the overall production and in particular, the performance.  It should be remembered that any review of this nature can only be objective as far as the techniques used during the performance observed.  Any criticisms expressed may not have been valid at other performances and are only made to encourage higher standards in Amateur Theatre. 

 It is hoped that the audience’s appreciation of your efforts will have given everyone a lift and encouraged you to greater achievements in the future and that the observations made by the reviewer will prove helpful in improving future productions.

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