To a casual observer, when you think of musicals, rarely do you think that they can be born from tragedy, or from a corner of history of so dark it is still remembered every year without fail. You think of corny songs, of big opening and closing numbers designed to get you talking long after the show is over, of big, beautiful sets that glitter and shine under the spotlights.
Come From Away is a unique musical as it doesn't strive to tick those boxes. It still manages to, but the goal is undeniably to showcase an extraordinary tale of community that I hope is a sentiment we can echo around the world. It is a musical that truly showcases the best humanity has to offer, and is why no matter what the world throws at us or, indeed, what we throw at the world, I do believe we are amazing creatures when we want to be.
It tells a tale of a town called Gander, in Newfoundland, that had to host a great number of displaced passengers when planes had to be grounded in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks in America. It was a wide awakening for me that, even as a Brit watching this show, there is actually a shocking amount I didn't really know about the aftermath of that horrific day beyond the initial media coverage, and what television shows and films have carved stories from.
I went to watch the musical at The Curve in Leicester, as it was the first stop this particular cast and crew were hosting their terrific show at. This venue is always a fantastic place to visit, but as with every show I go to see, I am always interested to see how a show with such a following adapts to each theatre it visits.
What shocked me most about this performance, was how simple and stripped back it was. You had the chairs and tables that formed most of the set, and quickly became everything needed to tell you the story, from the seats of a restaurant, to the aisle of a plane. The movement from scene to scene, from song to song, was phenomenally done, and fit the pace and tone of the overall story that was going on.
The cast were also phenomenal, and the fact that there was no single person that stood out more than the others speaks to how brilliantly everyone worked together, in a community effort that was a beautifully fitting tribute to the real life heroes this story was based on.
"That's how we started speaking the same language," I think was the most hauntingly beautiful line of the whole show, because it summed up how even though we have much to divide us, we have just as much, if not more, that unites us. We forget that sometimes, and it's why sometimes it is dispiriting to see how much hatred and vitriol exists in the world, and certainly on social media spaces.
There were fleeting moments that felt genuinely uncomfortable to watch, but it was exactly what was needed, and that included moments when one passenger was met with such mistrust and fear all because they were a different colour and nationality to the rest. I think this was handled beautifully, and I think it teaches us that uncomfortable moments in a musical can be vital to selling the story. You can't buy into a musical, unless you feel something in the moment, good or bad. Feeling something for someone or something within a piece of theatre, negative or positive, tells you that you are connecting to something that either mirrors a memory of your own, or ignites knowledge that makes you see the world in a different way.
I could go on and on about this musical, but it had everything, from love and laughter, to heartbreak and loss. When a musical covers a news story or event that took away a lot from the country affected, it has to make you care, and it has to have a message that doesn't just leave you depressed and hopeless after. For me, I can't watch or consume media that just showcases the worst of humanity. It is important to be aware such horror and travesty exists in our world, but I think if we don't showcase the best of humanity, it is easy to believe it is the worst, and then you think, why do we bother at all?
Come From Away is a well needed boost to the system, and I hope it finds a permanent home somewhere. Until then, I wish it safe travels, and hope every community it visits welcomes it as much as the communities of Newfoundland did for the misplaced passengers it rescued and gave homes to back in 2001.
This is a show you are going to want to come from away to.
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