Come From Away

Come From Away marks the 117^th production in 15 years for CentreStage, Australia's largest amateur musical theatre company, based in Geelong. This award-winning musical, recognised with over 30 major theatre accolades, boldly addresses the sensitive topic of the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York. The narrative recounts the captivating true story of 38 aircraft (transporting more than 7,000 international passengers and 19 animals) being redirected to Gander Airport in Newfoundland. Neither the planes’ passengers nor the local residents understood the reason for this unexpected landing in a remote town, resulting in an extraordinary unravelling of events over five long days.

Initially, when I heard about this show back in 2015, I questioned how a production on such a theme could be uplifting or indeed popular. How wrong I was! Come From Away expertly weaves an engaging story with genuine humour and appropriate musical elements, guaranteeing that the production honours its themes with respect while consistently being enjoyable. There are no dull moments. It is fasten your seatbelts, tray tables up and hold onto your seats for a non-stop 100 minutes of pure entertainment – both in extraordinary storytelling and musical performances.

Matthew Henderson, a director with more than 25 years of experience in the industry boasts an impressive portfolio, overseeing the Australian tours of The Boy from Oz, Miss Saigon, Steel Magnolias and numerous others. Henderson has significantly altered the staging from the Broadway version, giving it a fresh and original feel. The use of two revolving stages and twelve distinct wooden chairs (likely representing the twelve cast members) creates a striking visual focal point. Two very powerful and emotional moments are when footage of the 9/11 attacks is cleverly projected onto the cast, who are covered in white blankets. In another scene a starlit sky is created by directing lights toward the audience through a scrim.

Although appearing simple at first, the design of Come From Away is extremely complex with minimal room for error. The seamless transitions reflect the dedication of the cast and creative team, who have invested over 5,000 hours into this project.

Tom Warren’s lighting design is exceptionally intricate in this fast-paced show, where individual characters are highlighted at almost every cue. At times the entire cast had their own spotlights presenting a significant logistical challenge. Furthermore, managing 48 microphones with precision demonstrates that award-winning sound designer Marcello LoRicco is skilfully in command.

Musical director Tom Fernee (assisted by Phil Kearney) has assembled a romping good 12-piece orchestra that creates a rich tapestry of sound. The crowd erupted with excitement as the orchestra took to the stage to perform the Celtic-inspired pieces ‘In The Bar/Heave Away’ and ‘Screech In/Out’.

Award winning choreographer Natalya Munro makes her debut with CentreStage. The considerable difficulty of enabling the small cast to portray dozens of characters convincingly, while also expressing emotional depth and cultural richness, is immense. Munro excels in seamlessly integrating the Celtic influences of Newfoundland with character-driven movement, ensuring everything feels authentic and relatable. The opening number 'Welcome to the Rock' was received with rapturous applause from the enthusiastic opening night audience.

The cast of twelve includes Duncan Esler (Claude), Bronte Wright (Beverley Bass), Brad Beales (Nick), Sally-Anne Cowdell (Diane), Nicola Wetselaar (Janice), Mat Dwyer (Oz), Nelfio Di Marco (Kevin J), Chloe Davison (Hannah), Felicity Cartwright (Buelah), Andrew Lorenzo (Kevin T), Mark Muo (Bob) and Amy Whitfield (Bonnie). Each performer brings decades of experience, excelling in their main roles and additional cameos. They adeptly switch between various characters, utilising different accents, body language, ages, and costumes while positioning themselves into their correct spotlights. This is evidently a united team that is aware of and considerate towards each other, contributing to a highly successful production.

Come From Away is an uplifting musical that honours the remarkable compassion displayed in the aftermath of 9/11 and serves as a reminder that even in times of adversity, the best of humanity can emerge.