Zoe Gertz and Emma Powell take on multiple roles in Come From Away.
One of the opening scenes of Come From Away invites us to wonder about enduring 28 hours stuck on a plane, on the tarmac, on an unscheduled stop and with no adequate explanation for the compulsory and confined stopover. That’s what happened to many people when 38 planes were grounded at Gander airport in Newfoundland in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers. The population of Gander increased by nearly 7000 overnight, effectively doubling the population. And what this feel good musical shows is how the townspeople of ‘The Rock’ embraced that challenge and the stranded airline crews and passengers who dropped from the sky into their laps. It’s not a musical about 9/11 but a celebration of humanity and friendship in the wake of that horror. And it’s a triumph.
Come From Away starts as it means to go on, with a rousing number called Welcome to the Rock performed by the entire cast (and a seven-piece band). We meet Gander’s mayor, a local schoolteacher, the rookie journalist and other locals at the coffee shop, the town hub. (We also learn, by listening, that the Newfoundland accent is an intriguing mix of Scottish, Irish, Welsh, American and French Canadian accents. Everyone here has ‘come from away’.) Soon afterwards the ‘plane people’ arrive. How does a local community feed, accommodate and befriend frightened and bewildered passengers from all parts of the world, who are yet to learn what has just happened in the US? Cue song two, 38 Planes, and song three, Blankets and Bedding.
It all sounds awfully schmalzy, but it’s not. The kindness and compassion of strangers is what underpins Come From Away, and most of us can empathise with that, especially as the world struggles with this latest global pandemic.
There are challenges, of course, for the plane people and their hosts. Egyptian Ali, a top chef, is initially suspect because of his skin colour and his religion; gay couple Kevin and Kevin expect to be shunned; there’s the African couple afraid to leave the plane because they think the Sally Army uniforms belong to some kind of special police force. There’s Hannah, who is worried sick because her son is a New York firefighter.
Then there’s the woman who wants to save all the animals, held in the cargo holds of the grounded planes. And the shy English bloke who falls for a woman from Texas. All this and more from a cast of 12 who all play multiple roles. I lost track of how many. A change of shirt, a hat here and a cardigan there – and suddenly Kevin is Ali, Beverley is Annette, Doug is Nick and so on. The staging and slick choreography (credit to Kelly Devine) make the transitions appear seamless. The stage set (designed by Beowulf Boritt) is simple but remarkably effective. Chairs in the café become rows of airline seating, for example, and Howell Binkley’s lighting design helps transform a claustrophic plane cabin to emergency community accommodation to lonely vigil by a telephone.
Come From Away is a true ensemble piece and every performer and creative deserves a credit. The cast for the return season keeps many of it is stalwarts. Zoe Gertz is still Beverley Bass, pioneering pilot and the first female captain of a commercial plane at American Airlines. Like everyone in Come From Away, she plays many roles but is truly memorable as Bass and her rendition off Me and the Sky is stunning. New to the role of Hannah is Dan’yelle Williamson, whose firefighter son is unaccounted for in New York. Her poignant rendering of I Am Here is also a standout.
The book, music and lyrics are courtesy of husband and wife duo David Hein and Irene Sankoff, who travelled to Newfoundland to interview thousands of locals for their stories. Enduring friendships have resulted from these enforced stopovers.This production is directed by Christopher Ashley, with music supervision by Ian Eisendrath and sound design by Gareth Owen. For more, see www.comefromaway.com.au. But see the show, too!
Prices: from $59-$185, with handling fees.
Bookings in Sydney until 9 January
