Come From Away at Crescent Theatre, Birmingham Review
Written by Charis for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own
Crescent Theatre’s performance of Come from Away, directed by Kevin Middleton, is arguably some of the best amateur community theatre on display within the UK right now. Based on the events in the Newfoundland town of Gander following the attacks on September 11th, 2001, Come From Away showcases what happened when 38 planes, carrying approximately 7,000 passengers, were diverted following the closure of American airspace. As Middleton suggested ‘’Come From Away is often called a 9/11 musical, but those who know the show view it as a 9/12 musical.’’It is an important, emotional piece that demonstrates the need for humanity to band together in instances of tragedy”.
The decision to change from a cast of 12 to a cast of 18 was a unique choice, but when sitting in the audience watching the performance, it certainly felt like the best one. Watching the performance felt that you were part of it rather than simply just watching it. Due to the historical nature of Come From Away it is an emotional and personal piece which the Crescent Theatre were able to display significantly well.
All the 18 cast members gelled together incredibly well, however, the standout performance in terms of chemistry has to be from Steph Urquhart as Diane and Paul Forrest as Nick. Michelle Worthington as Captain Beverley managed arguably the most emotional performance of the whole piece, “Me and the Sky” incredibly well showcasing such raw talent. All the company songs were exceptional, with a special mention to 38 planes and somewhere in the middle of nowhere. Helena Stanway also stood out with her comedic performance as Bonnie, as well as Brendan Stanley as Claude, the town’s mayor, who showed a strong character who provided uniformed support across the board.
Musical director Gary Spruce and musical assistant Paul Hodgetts handled all the iconic musical numbers exceptionally well. The live band complemented the performance well, and live music always elevates a piece.
The decision to keep some of the traditional elements of Come From Away, such as the mismatched chairs, was certainly the right idea. It speaks to the rushed, large scale, emergency nature of the incident and really helps the audience to understand and feel part of it.
If you want to spend an evening watching an emotional, well performed, local community theatre , tickets to see this phenomenal production are still available.
Come from Away will be showing at the Crescent Theatre until 2nd May.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
