Come From Away

This isn’t your usual song and dance musical but was inspired by the support, resilience and kindness that the whole community of Gander, in Newfoundland gave to all the passengers on the 38 planes which were diverted from America on 9/11 after the terrorist attacks.  This small town was suddenly faced with almost 7000 people descending on them. The passengers, not knowing where they were or why their flight had been diverted and the locals given no warning to prepare for this invasion.

Praise goes to MD Clair Cooper, her assistants and the excellent seven-piece band who worked tirelessly, providing an almost continuous underscore and performing 23 musical numbers during the 90-minute show without an interval. The Celtic-style music is uplifting, and the steady beat of the bodhrán seemed to drive the characters forward, helping them through the situation.  Vocally, the whole company is consistently impressive delivering polished and confident performances. The demanding score is delivered with passion and precision, tackling the intricate music and rich harmonies beautifully.

The show is also unusual in that most of the cast remain on stage for virtually the entire performance, constantly shifting from one character to another, often with only a slight costume change to signal the transition. Even the leading performers take on numerous roles. It is no easy task to change character and personality while still on stage, but they achieved it well. There were many excellent performances, too many to mention individually and apologies for this but some of the most memorable included Alex Watt as the Mayor, Daisie Houlden as Janice the TV reporter, and Jo Rayner as Beverley, the female captain. Other notable passengers included Nick and Diane, played by David Jones and Clare Dungey, who struck up a friendship after being thrown together. I must also congratulate Phoenyx Pickering, who was very convincing in his characterisations and had only a few weeks to learn his lines.

Another striking feature of the production was its simplicity of set, little more than a dozen chairs and, occasionally, a couple of tables. The chairs were arranged to suggest both the plane and various locations around the town. Each chair was slightly different, helping the cast identify which one needed to move next as part of the carefully choreographed sequence — choreographer Sarah aptly called this “chair-ography.” This was no easy feat. The multi-tasking performers had to manage the precise movement of the set while changing characters, remembering their lines, and singing.

This was all set against wooden panelling to the rear of the stage and was lit to reflect the shifting emotions of the action on stage. All the costumes and additional items for the quick, on-stage changes, looked good and worked effectively.

The all-inclusive cast, including some performers making their stage debut, handled this technically demanding and often emotional production with remarkable skill. This was community theatre at its best.

This was the first time directors Pippa and Sarah had worked with Limelight, a departure from their usual roles as school drama teachers and directors. They rose to the challenge superbly, and together with their cast and crew, delivered an excellent show that delighted their sell-out audiences and earned them standing ovations.

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