Come from Away – The Forum Theatre

I have to say right at the start of this review that this was a brand new tale for me, I was only vaguely aware of the storyline, so unlike a lot of previous productions I have seen I was coming into this with little or no knowledge of what to expect from cast, crew and writers. Perhaps this was an advantage as I had no pre-conceived ideas as to what to expect.

The story of “Come from Away” is set in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11^th 2001 when airplanes were used to wreak death and destruction on the World Trade Centre buildings in New York. This resulted in all planes in American airspace being immediately grounded and obliged to land at the nearest airports available to them. This production tells the story of the 38 planes and about 7000 passengers who found themselves diverted to the International Airport at Gander, Newfoundland and how these people and the residents of the town reacted to the situation they found themselves in.

The cast of 16 performers, some NK stalwarts and some new to me, were all without exception superb actors and singers and did a wonderful job of bringing the nuances of their individual characters to life. It would be inappropriate of me to highlight any particular individual performance because they were all so good. The production was enhanced by the presence of a live band led by Scott Mitchell which brought an additional perspective to the show.

The minimalistic scenery is made good use of throughout the production, consisting of numerous boxes and suitcases which the cast use as seats and chairs when appropriate. The story starts with Claude the Mayor of Gander (Ivor Farley) being informed by a new reporter in the town, Janice, (Hannah Jones) of the attacks in New York, who then has to negotiate with the union leader Garth whose bus drivers are on strike to be able to transport the passengers into the town where they are to be accommodated and fed. This is co-ordinated by the police chief Oz (Callum Stretton) and a local schoolteacher Beulah (an excellent performance by Gilly Thompson) who between them manage to get all the townsfolk to provide the basic necessities of food, sanitation and accommodation.

The storylines of the relationships between the various passengers and how these develop throughout the production are explored well, particularly Nick and Diane (Jake Martin and Ruth Moore), the two gay Kevins (John Redfern and John Dean). Also well scripted are the individual characters including Hannah (Jodie Brewer) who we learn that her son has been tragically killed in the twin towers, Beverley (Jen Davies) who became the first female pilot for American Airlines and Ali (John Dean) a Muslim passenger who is suspected of being a terrorist and subjected to a degrading strip search.

Eventually all the passengers are able to leave Gander and express their happiness at returning to the USA and they set up a donation fund for their people of Gander as an expression of thanks for the kindness that they have been shown during their enforced stop over. The show ends with a reprise 10 years after the event when the townspeople and passengers reunite to celebrate the relationships formed whilst the passengers were stranded in Newfoundland.

One thing I most mention regarding this production was the humour which ran throughout the show, there were so many laugh-out-loud moments that I lost count. I can highly recommend this production and if you get the chance grab a ticket while you can.

Reviewer: David S Clarke

Reviewed: 25th March 2026

North West End UK Rating: