Review: Theatre Calgary’s COME FROM AWAY nourishes your heart and soul

In a time of international feuding and the rise of an ‘us versus them’ mentality, it’s refreshing to be reminded that we are all human, and that commonality is the strongest bond. The events of September 11, 2001 impacted every person, in every country, with most of us able to recall the exact place or moment when we learned about the tragedy unfolding in New York City. Imagine being on a plane, away from your loved ones, sent to a foreign land and purposely kept in the dark to prevent panic. That’s what happened to the nearly 7,000 ‘plane people’ who found themselves stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland that fateful day. Despite the small size of the town, with a population of just under 10,000, the locals rallied together and welcomed strangers from around the world into their town, their homes, and their hearts. A herculean effort by a caring community that impacted so many lives over the course of five days. 

‘Come From Away’ introduces us to the small town of Gander with its colourful cast of characters, the exact mix of personalities you would find in any small town in our country. The music transports you with strong Newfie tunes with strong English, Irish, Scottish, and Acadian influences. The band is revealed in the centre of the action and amazingly, they play almost non-stop for the entire 1 hour 40 minute run of the performance. You can feel that fresh ocean air wash over you with every stroke of the fiddle and note of the Irish flute. The music keeps the entire show charging forward, aided by the revolving stage, the performance feels like it is in a constant state of forward motion. The majority of the musical numbers incorporate the entire ensemble which is such a nice change from the many solo acts of conventional musicals. This unity also helps tie each storyline together and unify these disjointed characters through this shared experience.

The entire cast was outstanding in the myriad of roles that they stepped into. The pace of the show was so fast that it didn’t allow for elaborate costume changes and so the actors were constantly switching accents, mannerisms, and pace to match their many personas. There were also few breaks between one musical number and the next, highlighting the vocal and physical prowess of these performers. I really appreciated the diversity displayed throughout the show, showing how each person was personally impacted by the events no matter what their own background or lived experiences were. Bringing these perspectives forward gave such an important narrative for us an audience to put ourselves into the shoes of someone who may be very unlike ourselves and instill an appreciation for how different that experience would be. 

Probably the most impactful message that I came away with was how the community of Gander was so trusting and caring. Many times in the story we see individuals who have personal concerns for their safety and well-being around strangers as it relates to their sexual orientation, skin colour, religious practices, etc. and how the negative assumptions were abolished over and over by the kindness and unprejudiced actions of the kind folk of Gander. In the end when the unexpected visitors return to their own lives they marvel at the altruistic actions of the locals and are met with the response “well you would do the same for us” to which both the visitors and audience are left to wonder, would they? In a time when we have so many doubts and fears, it can be easy to dismiss those in need as a way to look out for our own safety and comfort. It was clear that this story had a positive impact on the entire audience, everyone leaving the theatre was all smiles and polite discussions abounded about what a feel-good journey they had just experienced. 

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