REVIEW: Come From Away - Savoyards Musical Comedy Society

IONA Performing Arts Centre

Directed by Andrew Cockroft-Penman, Musical Direction by Steven Days, Choreography by Kaitlin Hague

Lights rise on a bare wooden stage. A few tables and chairs are scattered about. The band sit in a semi-circle upstage. Within moments, twelve actors transform this simple space into a bustling airport, a sleepy town, and a world changed forever. This is Come From Away. A stirring, deceptively simple musical inspired by the remarkable true story of the 7,000 passengers stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, following the 9/11 attacks. Amid a global crisis, the population of Gander doubled overnight and this small community welcomed strangers with open arms — providing food, shelter, clothing, medicine, phones, and, above all, compassion.

Based on real events of September 11, 2001, when 38 planes were unexpectedly diverted to the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, Come From Away reveals the best of humanity during the worst of times. Newfoundland (for anyone who forgot Year 10 geography) is a rugged island off the east coast of Canada, affectionately known as “The Rock.” When US airspace was shut down, Gander became the unexpected crossroads of the world. While the townspeople sprang into action, most passengers remained stuck on the tarmac (watching Titanic and drinking tiny bottles of spirits), with no phones, no seat-back screens, no internet, and no real answers. It is almost wild to imagine now: confusion, language barriers, jet lag, and drunk strangers singing along to “My Heart Will Go On.”

Director Andrew Cockroft-Penman (who also designed the set) guided the story with a steady hand, blending humour, urgency, and reflection. There were no elaborate set pieces or costumes — just fluid transitions, tight blocking, and the pure magic of storytelling. He placed the audience directly into the passengers’ confusion and the townspeople’s scramble, grounding the production in documentary-like realism (but with far better music!). Scenes of cultural tension and language barriers were handled with sensitivity, especially in “On The Edge,” which simmered with stress as a hurricane loomed and emotions frayed.

Kaitlin Hague’s choreography was pure functional elegance. Every chair rotation, table shift, and walking pattern was deliberate, transforming the space into airports, buses, shelters, and pubs. Her staging of “28 Hours / Wherever We Are” perfectly conveyed the fatigue of passengers trapped on a plane for over a day, enhanced by Chloe Harrison’s evocative lighting in dusky pinks, oranges, and purples. In joyful contrast, the raucous “Heave Away / Screech In” exploded with energy, complete with string lights and party chaos.

Together, Cockroft-Penman and Hague captured the intense technical precision this show demands. Come From Away is not a show built on big solos or applause breaks, instead it thrives on razor-sharp timing, overlapping narration, and seamless character changes. With over 50 roles split between just twelve performers, it is a marathon requiring complete commitment, intelligence, and trust. Not a single actor faltered (at least that we could tell). Every line, change, and prop move had to be exact, and they were.

Carolyn Latter stood out as Beulah, radiating warmth and maternal grounding throughout, with particularly moving scenes opposite Vanessa Wainwright as Hannah, a mother awaiting news of her son; a firefighter in NYC. Jackie Fredericksen brought strength to Beverley Bass in “Me and the Sky,” a vocally demanding solo that felt slightly underpowered on opening night due to what seemed to be a mic issue with the guitar backing. Still, the emotional arc of her journey as the world’s first female American captain came through with clarity.

Jason Kiger carried the pragmatic authority of Claude with dry charm, while Lonnie Toia’s Bob was a comedic highlight, landing every punchline will brilliant timing. Mark Rickell and Rushad Katrak gave the Kevins an easy humour, with Katrak also shining as Ali, who faces suspicion and racial prejudice with quiet dignity.

Priya Shah was bright-eyed and believable as Janice, the eager young reporter suddenly thrust into a moment of history. Mike Zarate charmed as the ever-helpful Oz. Jenna Murphy was wonderfully no-nonsense as Bonnie, the town’s unofficial animal ambassador (8 dogs, 9 cats, and 2 chimpanzees were on those planes!) As she fiercely reminded us, “All animals are affected by stress, not just people,” we saw the full breadth of this show’s heart. Natalie Lennox and Joshua Langdon captured the sweetness and awkwardness of Diane and Nick’s unexpected romance with tender chemistry.

The entire cast moved with such fluidity, each switching characters, accents, and energy without ever feeling rushed or confused. Even when exhaustion set in toward the end of this 100-minute one-act, their stamina never wavered.

Musical Director Steven Days led a phenomenal onstage band that gave life to the show’s Celtic-Canadian score with vibrancy. The orchestra featured Days on keyboard and accordion, Ben Mathieson and Lucas Fisher on guitars, mandolin and bouzouki, Rowan Bowyer and Scott Heiner on bodhrán, Latin, African and Irish drums, Phil Kan on bass, Sophie Willis on flute, whistle and pipes, and Melinda Coles on violin. It was a lush, textured soundscape that elevated every moment. With the musicians visible on stage, they fed energy directly into the action. While opening night’s sound mix had a few hiccups (with varying mic levels and some spoken lines lost), the richness of the score and script still soared.

The technical elements supported the narrative with finesse. Chloe Harrison’s lighting carried us from the claustrophobia of airplane cabins to the glow of Canadian sunsets. Costumes (Kim Heslewood) and hair and makeup (Lynne Swain) were understated and versatile, enabling instant character shifts. The backstage crew and dressers deserve huge credit for the speed and smoothness of costume and prop changes. You could almost forget how complex this show is to stage!

As Cockroft-Penman reflected in the program, Come From Away remains as relevant now as it was 20 years ago. In a world still navigating pandemic aftershocks, growing divisions, and collective fatigue, this story feels like a warm hug, reminding us that compassion can be contagious. It is a story about neighbours made out of strangers, about humour softening grief, and kindness crossing oceans and belief systems.

Photography by Sharyn Hall