Come From Away

Come From Away has finally made it to Brisbane and the production that was on display last night is a carbon copy of the Broadway original. Directed by Christopher Ashley, who directed it on Broadway, its honorable intentions and feel-good vibe, not to mention the occasional moist-eye, should see it do similar business to that in Melbourne, where it broke the box-office record at the Comedy Theatre.

It’s a docu-musical based on true events and an amalgam of characters, about the town of Gander in Newfoundland whose population of 9,000 was swollen by 7,000 ‘plane people’, whose planes had been diverted there following the closure of American airspace on 9/11.

An ensemble cast of 12 play townspeople, passengers and pilots on Beowulf Borit’s set of stark tall trees and rustic wooden furniture, with the musicians visible on-stage. Musically the songs are in the folk-rock Celtic vein and with the accompaniment including a Bodhran, Irish Flute, Fiddle and Uilleann Pipes, we’re never far removed from Riverdance territory with lots of foot stomping.

The cast work miracles in creating somewhere around 40 characters. Zoe Gertz did a fine job as American Airlines pilot Beverley. Her back story of how, as a woman, she fought her way up the male dominated career path leads to one of the best numbers with the female ensemble ‘Me and the Sky.’

Phillip Lowe as Nick and Katrina Retallick as Diane were homely and believable as the British oilman and Texas divorcee; Sharriese  Hamilton pulled pathos out of Hannah, who’s desperate for news of her son, a New York firefighter; whilst Douglas Hansell and Joseph Naim bickered entertainingly as the gay couple Kevin T and Kevin J. Naim channeled Mario Cantone in his waspish queen mode to brilliant effect. He was also good as the Egyptian muslim chef bewildered by the Newfoundlander cod recipes. Gene Weygandt was a steadying and authoritative voice as the mayor.

Lighting and sound were excellent, and the band, under Luke Hunter, jammed to the audience’s delight as an encore at the end of the show.

Peter Pinne

Photographer: Jeff Busby