Come From Away - TipTop Theatre Live Review

TipTop Productions are a theatre production company based in Wrexham and Cheshire - founded in 1989 by Peter Swingler. They have over 30 years of performing musicals, plays and more around the region. Their first show in January 1989 was a musical theatre compilation show and have since performed productions of major hit shows such as Annie (92 and 2001), Les Miserable (2015), Grease (2016) and, of course, Come from Away in 2026. They’ve also hosted workshops, pantomimes, children’s shows and even original pieces.

In April, they reached out to me to take backstage photos for their showing of Come From Away. The cast and crew were extremely kind and humble people and it was really lovely to hear their inside jokes, pre show singalongs and of course meet the people behind the characters I would be watching on stage. As a creative myself, I know what it’s like to be in that dressing room before a show. That energy that buzzes under your skin, the excitement, nerves, preparation, last minute going over lines in your head. I want to thank the team for allowing me into those intimate moments and living from your heart and your passion.

Come From Away is a musical written by husband and wife duo Irene Sankoff and David Hein. It debuted in 2015 at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego directed by Christopher Ashley. It became a local hit and run dates were regularly extended due to audience reception and award. It took to broadway stages between 2017-2022 and West End Stages between 2019-2023 - with other productions occurring between such as tours of North America and the UK.

The show is about the true story of Gander in Newfoundland, Canada. Following the terrorist attack on September 11th, 38 international flights were diverted to said small town. The town, which only had a population of around 10,000, now had nearly 7,000 people to accommodate and feed. The diverted passengers were stranded, arriving on the island confused and distressed.

The live show is minimalistic, with a cast of only 12 people playing multiple different characters, a set that consists mostly of chairs and minimal props and costume changes. It helps make this beautiful piece of art accessible. Fantastic small theatre companies, like TipTop theatre can produce the show and share the heartwarming and inspiring story of Gander with the world.

I got to speak to the team behind the stage and see in their eyes how passionate and excited they were about their performance. The producer and choreographer watching with pride at the project they’d all worked so hard on.

Speaking of choreography, it was dynamic and fluid throughout the show. As previously mentioned, the set consisted mainly of chairs which get moved around the stage to represent different locations; airplanes, buses, cafes. The cast didn’t miss a beat, singing and dancing while moving everything around where it needed to be. This was a constant throughout the show - which I find really impressive considering they have to stay in character as well as essentially redesign the set every 2 minutes.

I also want to mention that the play was produced in 7 WEEKS. Only 7 weeks between the first rehearsal and performance, no wonder they got the standing ovation that they did. The cast all had a rapport and chemistry as if they’d been working with each other for years. Most of them have, being members of the team for a long time and working on many productions together. The newer cast members, such as Kate Gordon and Wesley Ray, whose first show with TipTop was this one, slotted in like a hand in a glove.

Opening with “Welcome to the Rock” the tone was set for the rest of the show. It’s a mostly spoken word song, the story told through a mix of dialogue and singing. It begins by introducing the small town, normal lives of the locals of Gander. Stories of mundane daily activities to juxtapose the later events that change everything. The music represents this perfectly being upbeat and joyful with a dark undertone that feels mysterious and anxiety inducing.

The vocals all worked well together, with a standout being Natalie Meyers, who later in the show performs a breathtaking belt that makes your hairs stand on end. In which her heartbreaking monologue sends a tear down your eyes.

The next section was a completely different set with completely different characters all done by the 12 members of the main cast. In seconds, the stage turned into the inside of a plane as they began to realise they were in the middle of an international emergency. This was handled so sensitively whilst also being extremely emotional. The performances and atmosphere was so immersive that I genuinely felt that sense of dread and confusion. It’s not often you think of these other little stories as part of a wider tragedy.

I won’t tell you much more about the show - I believe if you have the chance to go and see it yourself you should go and know nothing about it. Just know it’s a beautiful show and TipTop did a fantastic job with it.

Keep up to date with TipTop and their endeavours here.

I can’t wait to see their future shows, which include The Show Must Go On, Great British Bake Off - The Musical and Alladin.