Come From Away
Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Artform
Bob Hope Theatre, Eltham
22-25 April 2026
Star rating: 4
This cheerful musical, which opened on Broadway in 2017, celebrates the sheer decency of human beings in an emergency – and it’s exactly what we need in these troubled times.
After the terrorist destruction of the World Trade Centre in New York on 11 September 2001, air traffic was grounded worldwide. 38 aircraft carrying 7000 passengers were stranded at Gander in Newfoundland almost doubling the population of the town. So everyone rallied round. Schools and other public spaces were opened. Clothes and blankets were produced. Food was cooked in massive quantities and nobody slept. The people of Gander even opened their homes to folk in need of showers and other facilities. It’s a deeply moving story and every incident in the musical is based on real incidents.
A strong twelve piece ensemble – six men and six women – play all the parts. In this production the slickness, versality and level of professionalism would grace any stage anywhere. Although many of these actors have trained professionally, most of them have day jobs which makes this amateur production an even more remarkable achievement.
There are especially fine performances from Kathryn Sharratt as Beulah – the wise, sympathetic, practical, local elementary teacher. This she does along with many other roles because, of course, these twelve actors represent the passengers as well as the Gander people. Aimee Mutambo delights as, among other things, Hannah, the woman who is consumed with worry about her firefighter son in NYC. She has a stunning singing voice. So does Niamh Gasson as a stranded airline pilot – nice song describing the struggle she had to get where she is.
And there are stories within stories here: the pair of gay men whose relationship is feeling the strain and the older man and women who get together, for example
The folksy music – very pleasing eight piece band, led by Jeorgie Brett, across the back of the set comes with some stunning fiddle playing from Jade Cuthbert and lovely percussion work from the charismatic Dave Hunt.
It’s a one act 100-minute piece which manages to pack in some topical issues about tolerance. One of the best scenes takes us to a church where Christians are praying, Adrian Morrissey as Kevin T sings “Make me a Channel of Your Peace with Jamie Fillery as a stranded rabbi singing a Jewish chant and Basil Zafiropoulos chanting Muslim prayers on a mat. It’s harmony in every sense. The sound balance in this production is outstanding – you can hear every voice in music which is often fugal or counterpointed.
I enjoyed this show a lot and, hardened critic that I am (often four or five shows a week) I cried copiously.
