London Theatre Review: Come From Away at London's Phoenix Theatre
Updated on 24 April 2019
Nominated for seven Tony Awards and winning one for Best Direction and recently taking home four Olivier Awards, Come From Away has been on my radar for a while, as I was unable to get one of the hottest tickets in town when I went over to Broadway last year. Having recently finished a run in Dublin, I was delighted to hear it was transferring to the Phoenix Theatre in early 2019 and jumped at the opportunity to see a show that many people I know were profoundly moved by.
The musical follows the immediate aftermath of the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks and seems a strange and precarious subject to make a musical about, however, the musical doesn’t really make any political comments or overt social commentary. Rather it tells individuals’ stories of the events and the depth of human kindness that can happen at the most extraordinary and sombre of times.
The musical arrangement was interesting too, with almost continued numbers running through the whole show, it created a feeling of being on a journey rarely giving the audience a chance to sit back and digest scenes. It felt extremely fitting to the plight of the individuals who were thrown into a situation they had no control of. The standard of the numbers was strong too, with big roof-raising numbers such as ‘Welcome to the Rock’ and ‘Screech in’ a number that included many things, including an Irish fiddle and kissing a dead fish!
Notable mentions go to Rachel Tucker as airline pilot Beverley Bass whose powerhouse performances got the biggest applause of the night, and Harry Morrison as constable Oz Fudge who provided great presence and comic timing.
Come From Away did exactly what I hoped would happen, it moved me and gave me a night full of great numbers and incredible stories, well worth waiting over a year to see.
Come From Away is currently booking through 24 September 2019 at the Phoneix Theatre.
Come to see the show that is winning awards left and right and has audiences and critics alike singing its praises.
By James Lacy
James Lacy is an Actor and Writer from South East London. 1 Years Training in the Miesner Technique from The Impulse Company. Theatre and Boxing Fan.