Review: Come From Away

Hey readers!
It's time for my Come from Away review.
Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of thousands of stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland, Canada that welcomed them in. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

Come From Away's storyline is not only exceedingly powerful, but I would even go as far to say that it is inspiring. In today's world, hate can be found throughout each and every society. A common thought of many, including myself, is as to why people simply cannot show kindness to one another. Come From Away shows the outcome of such kindness, and teaches its audience to give a helping hand to one another in times of need. This is a show likely to leave many with a lump in their throat. This musical deals with what is, understandably, a very sensitive issue however it does so tastefully and respectfully. It still, however, successfully conveys how many people would have felt in the aftermath of 9/11, giving the audience a clear sense of the different emotions people had at the time. I found the story to be gripping and I was fully invested from beginning to end. The show lasts a total of 1 hour and 45 minutes, and not once did my attention drift.

The cast of Come From Away are, to say the least, phenomenal. They work with one another to create pure magic onstage and they all have an electric chemistry. Each cast members plays several different roles, and the range of skills demonstrated by each individual actor is highly impressive. Even with only a very minimal costume change, it is crystal clear as to when the actors have changed character as a result of the changes in physicality and accent. Portraying a range of different characters is often a hard task, however it is done flawlessly in this instance. Whilst all the cast are outstanding, I feel that Rachel Tucker deserves a special mention for her performance as Beverley, Annette and Others. Tucker steals the show with her stunning rendition of 'Me and the Sky', and gives an all-round exceptional performance.

The score of Come From Away, composed by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, is also wonderful. The music contains rock, folk and Gaelic-sounding strains and it had a certain Celtic influence to it, which I particularly liked. I found the music to be very uplifting and it complimented the story well. The orchestrations were also brilliant and it was an utter delight to have the orchestra onstage for the finale.

Creatively, Come From Away remains flawless. Christopher Ashley gives a masterclass in direction here, and he is undoubtedly deserving of the Tony Award that he received for his work on Come From Away. The musical staging, by Kelly Devine, is also superb; a particular highlight of Devine's work is the staging of 'Screech In', which helped to create a lively and exciting atmosphere. The lighting design, crafted by Howell Blinkley, was also first-rate and really helped in creating certain moods and effects.

Now for my final verdict on Come From Away. I give Come From Away...

Come From Away gets given one of my rare five-star ratings. This musical has it all; a gripping story, a great score, an exceedingly talented cast and excellent creativity. It was truly and utterly flawless.

Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.

Thanks for reading!

-The Reviewer