Come From Away at The Bristol Hippodrome

Posted on: 2024-08-21

Our rating:

A heart-warming tribute to the town that stepped up at a time of tragedy

 

I’ve seen a lot of musicals in my time, but this is the first I’ve sat down to watch with no idea what to expect. I’m pleased to say that Come From Away delivered: this is a feel-good show about the power of community and acceptance that couldn’t come at a more timely moment here in the UK.

 

Come From Away tells the astonishing story of the 38 planes that were diverted from landing in the USA on September 11th, 2001. Instead, these planes landed in the small town of Gander in Newfoundland, Canada: population under 10,000.

Overnight, their town more than doubled in size, with passengers coming from all over the world, and in the opening scenes, we see Gander and its quintessential town characters (the mayor, the bus drivers, the teachers, the vet) step into crisis management mode. They miraculously pull together, truly demonstrating the generosity of the human spirit, and somehow conjuring beds, clothes, food and facilities for 6,600 people (and animals) in hours.

 

The cast cleverly doubles as town folk and plane passengers through the magic of small costume changes, and I want to take a minute to mention the standout characters for me. The sheer range of Jamal Zulfiqar — playing both Kevin, a gay New Yorker, and the misunderstood Egyptian Ali — is spectacular to watch. He brings in the most laughs, and also bears the burden of demonstrating how Muslims are treated after the attacks.

Sara Poyzer is equally memorable as Beverley Bass, American Airlines’ first female captain, telling the story of her journey with smooth and powerful vocals. Lastly, it was a real joy to watch a gradual, artfully depicted romance blossom between Nick (Daniel Crowder) and Diane (Kirsty Hoiles), who are brought together by unimaginable circumstances. Spoiler alert: they’re still married today, and recently celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary!

 

Just like the cast, the set is incredibly versatile. Made up of simple wooden chairs and tables, flanked by tree trunks as a nod to the beautiful scenery of Newfoundland, the set never really changes and yet constantly does. Chairs are configured to indicate a plane cabin, a bar, a school hall and more; this tactic also makes scene changing moot, so the whole cast is on the stage for most of the whole show. The result? A busy and slightly chaotic feeling that surely mirrors the lived experience of a town bursting at the seams in a time of tragedy.

The musical accompaniment too is small but impactful, with a band made up of distinctive regional instruments like fiddle (Ruth Elder), Irish flute (Philippe Barnes), bodhran (Beth Higham-Edwards) and several more. This soundtrack lends an authenticity to island life and helps to illustrate the atmosphere experienced by plane people and town folk alike during these extraordinary five days.
 

Come From Away has just the feel-good message of unification that our culture needs more of right now — go see the show and leave feeling hopeful about humans again.

Come From Away runs at The Bristol Hippodrome until Saturday 31 August 2024. Secure your tickets HERE.

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Article by:

Alys Marshall

Alys is a full-time copywriter, avid reader and podcast enthusiast currently based in Henleaze. As a recent transplant from the North, she’s keen to explore everything the South West has to offer, but is especially interested in exploring the food, art and culture scene in Bristol.