Come From Away | Darlington Hippodrome | 22nd October 2025
Invited| Review by Stephen Stokoe
It is always a pleasure to visit the lovely Darlington Hippodrome especially to see the latest production from the outstanding Darlington Operatic Society who have recently wowed audiences with their presentations of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie and Made in Dagenham. This year they have pulled off one of the hottest new releases for amateurs with arguably the best musical created in recent years.
Written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, Come From Away starts in a Canadian town in the province of Newfoundland. Everyone knows everyone from the Mayor (Julian Cound) down to the guy who sweeps the streets. They have their problems but life carries on there slow and steady until one fateful day. September 11, 2001.
This beautifully written musical tells the true story of when Gander, the town in question, opens its doors, hospitality and hearts to 7000 air passengers who were stranded due to the US closing their airspace immediately following the terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and the Twin Towers.
The story is heart-warming as much as it is harrowing. Always in the background is the sense of hopelessness that was felt around the world as these events unfolded. The heart of Come From Away comes from its humanity but even that is tested at times in the story when one of the passengers, Ali (Harrison Bateman) is repeatedly ostracised and singled out for unfair treatment simply because of the colour of his skin and ethnicity.
The success of staging Come From Away comes is in the casting and Darlington OS, not short of members even include an ensemble to bring a fuller sound to the beautiful music. Led by musical director Steven Hood, the band are on stage the entire time which adds to the community feel and the soul of the piece. His band is comprised of names familiar to anyone who frequents community theatre in the north east including Jayne Cuddy, Sue Ferris, Alex Young, Paul McArthur, Peter Morris, Ben Smith, Paul Walker and Malcolm Dick who occasional took their places within the cast and sounded fabulous.
The cast are split into two teams. Team Yellow, who I saw this evening, and Team Blue who play opposite them. This show is usually performed by twelve actors who share the roles and, on the whole DOS has continued this tradition but with other members taking on certain roles and storylines which was very effective.
Given the nature of the piece there is an element of confusion throughout as the characters try to understand what is happening around them. There is an ongoing bus strike which is suspended but the tension between the Mayor and his union counterpart, Garth (Jason Slater) adds a comedic theme. There are the two Kevins (James Bearpark and Eddie Taylor-Jones) a gay couple from Los Angeles, who carefully navigate their way through unknown territory. There is, almost inevitably a love story which sparks up between Nick (Christian Brabin), a rather uptight English businessman who was heading for a conference and Diane (Charlotte Sisson), a divorcee from Dallas, Texas. This particular strand in the story is a reflection of a real life romance and subsequent marriage borne out of the events.
Almost separate to the events unfolding around her is the story of Beverley (Samantha Morrison), the first female pilot to fly for American Airlines. Morrison really encapsulates the tough, stoic character of this remarkable pilot through to the heartfelt The Sky and Me in the second act.
There are also some magnificent cameo appearances from various members of the cast which raised loud laughs from the audience. It is very much an ensemble piece and I cannot praise the entire cast more highly. The full company singing is outstanding and had the hairs on the back of my neck upstanding on more than one occasion.
Joanne Hand’s direction is deft throughout the piece. She utilises a great deal of symmetry on the stage which is comforting in many respects. She also provides some clever choreography especially when the passengers are stuck on the planes to signify their boredom and restlessness and in the ‘Screech-in.’
To add artistic verisimilitude and integrity to the story, DOS has enlisted the assistance of an accent coach (Cameron Jackson) who has worked wonders to teach the peculiarities of an accent influenced by the native Canadian and in imported Irish and English West Country twangs. The cast as a whole have obviously worked very hard to achieve this authenticity.
The set (Scenic Projects) is reminiscent of the original production without being a replica. Props (DOS, George Oldfield and Emma Barton) and costumes do a lot of heavy lifting to assist the story and the audience along beautifully.
The technical team of Alex Edwards (Lighting), Nathan Large (Production Electrician) and the wizards of sound at Tyne Audio have once again combined to ensure that the actors on the stage are seen and heard very well indeed and not fogetting follow spotter Matilda Burns who has her work cut out chasing characters across the stage especially towards the start of the production.
I absolutely loved this show’s content even before I arrived at Darlington OS’s production and this talented society has just confirmed my appreciation of the musical. It has heart, it has soul, it has love, and it is a much needed reminder, in these times of strife and division, the power of humanity when, faced with adversity, can pull together in solidarity against those who would seek to divide us.
You are welcome to the rock at Darlington Hippodrome until Saturday 1st November 2025 and for an evening that will have you leaving with hope in your heart, I cannot recommend it more highly. Come from everywhere and once you’re there, Darlington OS will welcome you to the rock.