‘You are here’ reads the giant red LED sign as you step into the Grand Opera House York auditorium this week – and here is where you’ll want to be as York Stage present the award-winning Come From Away.
Come From Away is a musical based on the true story of 7,000 airline passengers stranded in the small Canadian town of Gander, Newfoundland, in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
The show – with book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein – premiered on Broadway in 2017, with the production being nominated for seven Tony awards. It came to the West End in 2019, and won the Olivier award for Best New Musical.
Now, York Stage bring it to the city for the very first time.
It’s the latest of York premiere’s for the theatre company, and perhaps the pressure of pulling off this scale of a musical could be felt on opening night – but we were soon swept away completely into the heart of Gander.
Come From Away is an ensemble show, with every character getting a multi-roll moment to shine, and York Stage have gathered an outstanding cast to portray them.
Some personal stand-outs for me were Richard Billings as Claude, mayor of Gander, who is often at the centre of the action and the stage – and is a steady, guiding presence for the cast to orbit around.
Emily Hardy brings compassion of steel to Beulah and some incredible vocal moments, and her relationship with Jess Gardham’s Hannah is one of the most touching in the show; Gardham is an emotional tour-de-force as the mother waiting for news on her firefighter son in New York.
Megan Day as earnest and new-to-the-job reporter Janice lights up the stage with a breath of fresh air whenever she lifts her news microphone, Jaqueline Bell raises the roof as Captain Beverley Bass in her triumphant and poignant number ‘Me and the Sky’, Chris Wilson delivers confident and charismatic characterisation as Oz, and Theo Mayne – series one contestant on The Traitors – lands some great lines as Bob.
Delivering some of the strongest acting on stage is Faisal Khodabukus as Kevin J and Ali – the contrast between the quiet and polite Ali, a character faced with prejudice and distrust, and the outspoken and flamboyant Kevin, who leads with distrust, is navigated by Khodabukus with serious skill. He pulls out the sympathetic sides to Kevin J’s character and is a wonderful counterpart to Grant McIntyre’s Kevin T.
A particular highlight is when McIntyre leads the cast in the song ‘Prayer’, a beautiful number that celebrates cultures from all over the world in harmony and is a wonderful moment of unity; one of many that the show commemorates.
Every cast member deserves to be commended for their commitment and exuberant energy on stage, and the moments in the show where everyone sings as one in perfect harmony are some of the strongest – both emotionally and musically.
The biggest achievement, is perhaps that they make it looks easy. Come From Away is a technically difficult show; it’s fast paced and almost completely sung through, all while trying to master and maintain a Newfoundland accent, and yet the precision and stamina of the cast is astonishing.
There are moments that I think could be stripped back a little – there are a few occasions where there are perhaps too many moving-parts of set and cast at once, making the stage at times seem too busy. There is incredibly slick and exciting choreography by Danielle Mullan-Hill that may have been better executed by a smaller group of people at a time.
Not only are the entire cast on stage at all times, but so are the band. Led by musical director Stephen Hackshaw, who also plays keys and accordion, the band are simply breathtaking and rightfully take their well-deserved place in the spotlight for the final play-off and bow.
Come From Away is at its heart a show that celebrates the power of community, kindness, and what is possible when we work together to look after each other. In a world that currently feels so divided, it’s heartening to be reminded of what we can achieve in the face of some of the most imaginable tragedy – if we simply open our doors and offer a helping hand.
As a long-term fan of Come From Away, I walked into the auditorium in eager anticipation and was taken on the emotional journey I hoped for; I challenge you to watch this show and leave with dry eyes! Director/producer Nik Briggs and the entire York Stage company have delivered another triumph.
For an unbroken hour and forty minutes, we are completely taken into the welcoming arms of Gander and its community – as the last note sounds I don’t think you’ll want to leave either.
Come From Away is at the Grand Opera House until Saturday 18 April. Tickets start from £15.96 and are available here.
