Come From Away – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

Some musicals are written to entertain, some are emotional and then there’s Come From Away, which takes you on a journey through both and leaves you with a sense of hope in humanity. Altrincham Garrick Playhouse’s performance is a wonderful reminder of why this extraordinary musical has captured audience’s hearts around the world.

Set in the aftermath of the events of September 11th, Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of the small Newfoundland community of Gander, which suddenly found itself welcoming around 7,000 passengers whose flights had been diverted and grounded. What could have been an overwhelming crisis became a story of kindness, generosity, friendship and human connection.

What makes the story so powerful is that it doesn’t focus on the tragedy itself. Instead, it looks at what happened afterwards — the strangers who opened their homes, shared their food, offered support and, for a brief time, became a family.

The cast; Helen Swain, Hannah Edwards, Lauren Whiteley, Helen Horridge, Meg Brassington, Sarah Clark, Pete Brassington, Tim Wood, Dean Chaudhri, Lewis Sewell, Ivor Farley and Dominic Lo work together as a remarkably tight ensemble, bringing a huge number of characters to life with clarity, energy and warmth. It’s a demanding piece of performance for the actors who play multiple characters throughout the production, frequently moving not only between different characters but also nationalities and personalities, sometimes within moments of one another. A true testament to skill, passion and dedication of these talented actors and actresses. The vocal ability of this cast was outstanding, and they all demonstrated they were able to produce powerful songs whilst remaining true to the character. Genuinely, I checked the program at one point to make sure this was not a professional touring production.

Come From Away is a show that never feels overcrowded despite the sheer number of people and stories being represented intertwined with wonderful humour throughout but never undermining the emotional heart of the story. The characters feel like real people rather than caricatures, allowing the audience to become genuinely invested in their individual journeys.

The music (Mark Goggins) is one of the show’s greatest strengths. Providing an infectious energy from the beginning that carries the production forward. The live music becomes part of the storytelling itself. Many of the shows numbers help us to understand the characters and the rapidly changing circumstances around them. The result is a score that takes you from the high of toe tapping beats to emotional, heartfelt lows.

Directed by Joseph Meighan, the production makes excellent use of the Garrick’s space. The staging has to work incredibly hard. We move between airports, aeroplanes, homes, bars, restaurants and various locations around Gander, yet the production uses subtle and sometimes grander changes to swiftly transport the audience. The simplicity of the set allows the performers and the storytelling to remain centre stage.

The pace is particularly impressive. Come From Away runs for approximately 1 hour 45 minutes without an interval, and the production makes that format work exceptionally well. There is barely a moment to catch your breath.

Lighting (James Merrington) was purposeful, atmospheric and complimented each character and tone for each scene. Projection was also used to identify more recognisable places such as Tim Hortons. Sound (Josh McMillan) at first was a little loud on the music and low on the voices but this was rectified quickly and did not affect the overall performance. A teething problem which I don’t think will be a problem going forwards. I appreciate juggling a live orchestra and vocal microphones is no easy feat. Costumes (Mike Shaw) were in line with the style, period and place of the small town of Gander back 25 years ago. Changes were made to identify new personas and overall fitted perfectly into the show’s mix.

Come From Away is a show that celebrates people. It celebrates strangers helping strangers. It celebrates communities coming together. It celebrates friendship, compassion and the simple act of asking somebody, “Are you okay?” A pertinent reminder especially at this time of year, marking 25 years on.

Before seeing this show, I thought Come From Away was a musical about 911, how wrong I was. It’s a musical about what people are capable of doing in response to tragedy.

It’s funny, moving, joyous and occasionally heartbreaking — often all within the space of a few minutes.

Most importantly, it leaves you with something far more valuable than simply a good night’s entertainment.

It leaves you with hope.

A brilliant celebration of kindness, community and humanity.

If you haven’t seen Come From Away before, go. If you have seen it before, go again. Be prepared to leave the theatre believing in people just a little bit more.

Reviewer: Steph Wiswall

Reviewed: 10th September 2026

North West End UK Rating: