Preview: Come From Away

LR: This is a well-written musical based on true events and real people. It shows what wonders a community can do in the face of adversity. You forget how many people were affected by the atrocities of 9/11, not just those in the vicinity of the Twin Towers. It’s emotive without being gratuitous; hopefully you’ll laugh and cry, and everyone will leave humming and stamping their feet!

JR: The show portrays the better angels in our nature in just about the best way I’ve ever seen, and has the ability to transport us all to that horrific week (25 years ago now) like nothing else I know.

BF:  It tells the true tale of how a remote community revealed the best of humanity at a time when the utterly unthinkable happened. It’s often difficult to not get emotional when playing out the scenes of this remarkable story.

EM: Although a tragic event is the catalyst, the show manages to capture humour and silliness alongside the difficult moments!

JM: For me, it’s the humanity of it. It’s a story about ordinary people responding to an extraordinary event with kindness and generosity. Despite the tragic backdrop, it’s ultimately uplifting and reminds us what people are capable of when they come together. I think audiences really connect with that sense of community and hope.

ET: I think one of the most appealing things about Come From Away is that it shows the events of 9/11 from a different perspective.  Everyone has their own story from that day, but before this show, no one really knew about this one.

FI: Come From Away has a unique structure compared to other theatre shows I’ve acted and sung in, with fast-paced dialogue interspersed between multiple songs. The cast balances a number of storylines that are touching, poignant, funny, lively and everything in between.

SH: It’s about people coming together in hard times and finding joy and sharing love. We’ve all lived through difficult circumstances, and this show manages to capture all those feelings and finds a way to celebrate them.

JW: A lot of people have only seen the footage of what happened in America on 11th September 2001, and were not aware of the other planes in the sky, which had to be diverted to alternative destinations on that day, and the ways in which those communities were affected by the arrival of so many people. Come From Away is appealing because it is very different to other musicals, being based on a single moment in recent history, which subsequently changed so many lives.

Those people who were around to experience the immediate aftermath of 9/11 will always remember where they were at the time the planes hit, and the constant televised repeats, filmed from different cameras around New York. Come From Away provides a completely different viewpoint, presenting the experiences of a handful of the real passengers on the 38 planes sent to Newfoundland, and the welcoming residents of that island. You don’t need to show the actual 9/11 attacks for the audience to visualise what happened, 25 years later. Those images will remain in our minds forever.

JR: It explores triumph over adversity! Community in the wake of catastrophe! And having one’s hope in humanity reawakened while dancing completely hammered to an old sea shanty, with new friends…

BF: The show is about people from all different walks of life, countries and cultures, and what happens when they are thrown together in an unfamiliar environment. Love, hope, racism, fear, loss and faith are all themes that the show touches upon as it navigates the lives of this extraordinary mix of people.

JM: At its heart, the show explores community, compassion and resilience. It shows how people from very different backgrounds can come together in difficult circumstances and support one another. It also deals with loss, grief and uncertainty, but at its heart it’s about people looking after each other. To paraphrase the real Claude Elliott in an interview, “We can disagree on the small daily things, but in the end we should love and look after each other.”

ET: ⁠It explores pretty much every human experience across the spectrum from grief to joy, falling in love, figuring out your priorities, being there for others, and of course, the importance of community.

FI: The show goes beyond the true events of 9/11 and the stories of those affected. It explores themes we tend to see in our everyday lives: love, community, helping others, prejudice, tragedy. And perhaps the most subtle yet hard-hitting: the pain of knowing some things are out of your control, and that there isn’t always a simple answer for why things happen.

SH: For me it’s about generosity of spirit and putting the needs of others before your own, learning to let go of little things and adapting to what’s really important. Love, loss and hope.

JW: The show explores themes of solidarity, kindness, patience and loss as well as resilience and, more negatively, racial discrimination

LR: Definitely learning a Newfie accent! Still not 100% sure am not going to offend someone.. oh and picking dead snails off chairs to rehearse in the Directors’ shed. It has been a challenging process but like the Gander community, it has been a joy to see how the SLT community has stepped up so that the show can go ahead.

JR: It’s really been exactly that for me, a thoroughly joyous challenge! I’ll sum it up in the words of Annette and Beulah – “Are we going to be ready? Well we have to be, don’t we?” And in the words of Leonard Cohen; “When things get really bad, just raise your glass and stamp your feet and do a little jig. That’s about all you can do”. 

BF: Being a part of a cast that gets to tell this beautiful story is, in itself, a joy. Several of the cast members have never been in a musical before, myself included, and it has been an exhilarating learning curve, especially as the production team and cast have been so supportive in that process.

FI: It’s been a challenge incorporating the scenes, transitions and music together. One of the joys has been watching the hard work and dedication that everyone has contributed, both individually and as a collective. This is a show that truly relies on teamwork, because no man is an island in Newfoundland!

EM: Improving my vocal strength (both a challenge and a joy)! After especially productive rehearsals where we learned a lot of new material, we would come together to sing something familiar, and that felt really special.

JM: The biggest challenge for me has been the musical side of the show. I come from an acting and improvisation background, so it’s pushed me well outside my comfort zone. The joy has been learning so much, working with a supportive cast, and being part of telling such an amazing story.

ET: I have loved this show since it premiered on Broadway.  I knew it would be difficult stepping into a show so last minute, but I knew it would be worth it. It’s been difficult fitting rehearsals into my schedule and travelling to the theatre, but I’m just so excited to be back on stage again.

SH: The joys have been sharing a rehearsal room three times a week with a group of people who love bringing this show to life as much as I do. We’ve found delight in silly moments and worked through the challenges together. It’s such a mammoth undertaking to learn and choreograph, relying on all of us being there and digging in; I think the show you’ll see will be a fantastic reflection of the hard work and love we’ll all put into this, and we can’t wait to share it with you!

JW: The challenges for me have been remembering which scene follows on from the last and which chair arrangement should be on the stage at any given time. The joys have been joining the South London Theatre and working as a part of a cast of a dozen actors, of different ages and levels of experience, all connected with the same goal, to make this production as full of emotion and empathy as possible.