The Drama department regularly enjoys trips to the latest productions; here, Third Year student and Drama Scholar, Joshua Allen reviews award-winning show Come From Away, currently on at the Phoenix Theatre in London.
“Come From Away is a play about how the lives of ordinary people living in a secluded town in Canada were changed following the events of 9/11. The town had a small airport that had to accommodate more than 35 emergency landings and with this, 6,500 passengers, all needing shelter and food. The town struggled a bit, but ultimately, the outcome was a good one.
“The play had around 12 actors in total, all superbly playing many distinct roles, with each having a really interesting personality. We got to see them all develop and grow as people. Some of the amazing actors were Jenna Boyd, who played many characters, but her stand-out one was a very welcoming and kind lady. She was the one who helped many of the passengers physically and emotionally. Another great actor was Alice Fearn, who could sing really well; her character, the pilot, was also one of the funny ones. The mayor of the town, played by James Doherty, brought all the characters together, and brought more of the political side of things to the show.
“The actors weren’t the only amazing thing though; the set was a masterpiece. There was a revolving floor, which meant they could easily switch from one scene to another. They also used chairs to achieve this and switched from an airplane to a house in a matter of seconds! One of my favorite scenes was where the passengers wanted to become a member of the town’s community. To do this they had to kiss a fish on the lips! Here, they used the revolving floor again to give the impression of a lively and energetic bar.
“Everyone was really entertaining and meant that we were always guessing what was going to happen next. The play had an amazing story line, with outstanding songs that fit and flowed perfectly with the play. Many of the moments were really funny, I’m sure we all laughed a lot! ‘Come From Away’ was a very unique play and left me with a nice feeling inside. Definitely one of my favourites!”
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