Come From Away - UK and Ireland Tour Review

Reviewed by Amber 
The tickets were gifted in return for an honest review

On September 11th 2001, 38 planes were re-routed to Gander, Newfoundland as the world’s airspace shutdown. 7,000 people were sat on those planes – and Come From Away introduces us to a handful of these people and the Newfoundlanders who did all they could to welcome the Plane People into their lives during a time of despair, panic and heartache.

The ensemble cast, made up of 12 people, glide between characters seamlessly; a simple hat, jacket or even accent change creating a whole new person on that stage as the residents of Gander and Plane People begin to interact and find the best of humanity in each other when the world is faced with so much turmoil.

One of the show’s sweetest plotlines is the blooming relationship between Nick (Daniel Crowder) and Diane (Kirsty Hoiles). Nick is a lonely Englishman who has dedicated his entire life to his work – the only reason he was on the plane was to attend a conference in Dallas. He and Diane, a divorced Texan woman who is beginning to explore the world and come out of her shell, have an easy, charming chemistry that never dips as the show swings in and our of their love story. 

It is a great contrast to the tumultuous relationship between Kevin T. (Mark Dugdale) and Kevin J. (Jamal Zulfiqar) – it was cute, for a while. The two men’s relationship suffers from vastly different reactions to their time diverted in Gander and their tension is believable as the story progresses.

Jamal also plays Ali, an Egyptian man who is treated by almost everybody with suspicion and disdain. Come From Away explores the experiences that people from many cultures faced during the global catastrophe of 9/11 – the fear and uncertainty and pain from a new wave of persecution is made clear. Prayer is a song that brings these cultures together and causes a few tears to spill from the audience watching.

One of the greatest successes Come From Away boasts is the sense of global community it carries around – in the foyer of each theatre the show tours to, a map of the world is waiting so that people can write a note and pin where they come from. As you might imagine for a show that has been touring for seven months, the board is full of locations and stories and names, all of whom have seen the story of Come From Away and felt the best of humanity in the worst of times. 

The sense of community remains on stage, with the band getting plenty of time to shine and be in the forefront of the stage. Screech In and Screech Out in particular allow the band to shine – Guitarist Yue Miyagi’s head banging was a spectacle of itself and eased the tears at the end of the show. Given the full ovation from the Tuesday night audience, it’s safe to say everyone in the theatre kissed the fish.

During Come From Away’s week at Nottingham Theatre Royal, the theatre are partnering with Theatrical Lydia and Pay It Forward 9/11 to collect warm winter undergarments for the Emmanuel House Charity based in Nottingham. There are collection points in the foyer and donation stations pre-show. 

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Come From Away plays at Nottingham Theatre Royal until 05/10/24. Tickets are available at: https://trch.co.uk/whats-on/come-from-away/ and further tour dates are available to see here: https://comefromawaylondon.co.uk/tour-dates