Come From Away
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https://nationaltheatre.org.au/come-from-away/
Date Reviewed: 11/10/2026
CLOC Musical Theatre’s return season of Come From Away at the National Theatre brings the people and stories of Gander to life with an energetic ensemble and a stage that is always in motion.
The musical follows the events after 9/11, when 38 planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland, bringing around 7,000 passengers into a town of about the same size. The story moves quickly between people and places. CLOC’s production gives that movement a lively setting.
Co-directors Rob Robson and Tailem Tynan lead the returning production, with Malcolm Huddle as musical director. Sally Martin’s set design adaptation gives the performers a flexible space, while Jason Lord’s lighting shifts the action between places and moods. The stage rotates, chairs establish each new setting and compartments in the back wall open and close. It feels busy and full, but the changes keep the production moving.
The cast performs well as an ensemble, shifting between characters and settings with energy and coordination. The opening number, “Welcome to the Rock”, sets a warm, lively tone. Fun quips and one-liners bring humour to the story, while the relationships between characters offer more intimate moments. Diane, played by Jacqui McCallum, is a Texan passenger who meets Nick, an English oil engineer played by Richard Perdriau. Their unexpected romance begins during the diversion. Shane Pritchard’s Kevin J and Nic Russ’s Kevin T arrive as a couple, but the pressures of the crisis expose the distance growing between them.
One of the production’s most affecting threads is the friendship between Hannah, played by Sharon Wills, and Gander local Beulah, played by Natasha Bassett. Hannah is waiting for news of her firefighter son in Manhattan. Beulah stays beside her, offering comfort and understanding. “I Am Here” gives Hannah’s fear and loneliness a quiet emotional centre.
The storytelling style may not work for everyone. There is little conventional plot; instead, the show moves through a series of episodes and relationships. Much of the action is recounted rather than dramatised. Characters often address the audience to report what happened or what they said—“And then I said …”—rather than showing us the full conversation or event. This creates a communal, storyteller quality, but it can also leave scenes feeling like a sequence of accounts rather than a continuous drama. The quick shifts from humour to grief add to that unsettled feeling. They can be jarring, particularly around Hannah’s story, though they also reflect the passengers’ experience of moving between ordinary moments and terrible uncertainty.
The live orchestra gives the production a strong musical pulse. Fiddle, whistles, Irish flute, accordion, guitars, mandolin, bouzouki and percussion bring a Celtic and folk sound to the score, helping carry the action through its many changes. The music is one of the show’s pleasures, and a particular draw for listeners who enjoy that style.
The production balances the shock of the crisis with the practical kindness shown by Gander’s residents. It closes with the idea of remembering “what was lost” and “what we found”, a concise expression of the show’s mix of grief and gratitude.
The cast are committed to the material, carrying its quick changes and emotional shifts with conviction. The audience responded with a standing ovation. The orchestra stayed on and kept playing as theatregoers tapped along, giving the evening a warm, celebratory finish.
Come From Away is a lively, warmly performed production, with inventive staging, a strong ensemble and engaging live music. It will appeal to audiences interested in the events of September 11, stories of community and resilience, and Celtic-inflected musical theatre. Those looking for a conventional, action-led plot may find its storytelling style less satisfying.
Cast: Natasha Bassett (Beulah and others), Elyse Batson (Bonnie and others), Ric Birkett (Claude and others), Shaun Kingma (Oz and others), Jacqui McCallum (Diane and others), Rosa McCarty (Beverley, Annette and others), Hayley Nissen (Janice and others), Jayson Paul (Bob and others), Richard Perdriau (Nick, Doug and others), Shane Pritchard (Kevin J, Ali and others), Nic Russ (Kevin T and others), Sharon Wills (Hannah and others).
Orchestra: Malcolm Huddle (conductor, keyboard and accordion), Greg Leibel / Thomas English (whistles and Irish flute), Eugenie Lyons (fiddle), Charlie Wood (electric and acoustic guitars), Marty King (mandolin, bouzouki and acoustic guitars), Adrian Close (electric and acoustic bass), Sophie Barker (bodhrán and percussion), James Ward / Ali Soebardi (drums and percussion), Nathan Firmin (keyboard programming)
Highlights: The live orchestra, rotating stage, inventive use of chairs, fun one-liners and the cast’s quick changes between characters.
Who’s it for? Audiences interested in September 11 and its aftermath, ensemble storytelling, human connection, and Celtic or folk music.
Reviewed by Mary Sinanidis