Come from Away has landed in Ipswich and audiences were treated to an evening of incredible storytelling, leaving them flying high as they left the theatre.
For one hour and 40 minutes you become part of life in the town of Gander and absorb the incredible stories of the individuals who suddenly found 7,000 strangers grounded within their community.
This show is full of heart, humour and a message of kindness and community prevailing in the wake of tragedy and fear.
Togetherness is a key theme of the show and Irene Sankoff and David Hein's score requires its cast to be together not just in their harmonies and movements but as they seamlessly transition the multiple roles they are asked to play.
And they knock that out of the park.
Come from Away will be able to add itself to the handful of musicals that have made me teary-eyed by the end of their opening number.
Welcome to the Rock is many parts the perfect opener for a show like this.
A blend of quick paced exposition meeting the characters and their personalities and about a town that was about to play a very big part in one of the saddest days in recent history.
The song, led by Nicholas Pound as Claude the town's mayor, feels like someone is putting an arm around you and guiding you, making you feel at home.
The show knows how to make a little go a long way, a handful of tables and chairs serve as the key props but are used in a way that audiences do not need elaborate sets to understand where they are.
All of the cast play their various roles extremely well but one of the stories feeding into the show is led by Jamal Zulfiqar as Ali, an Egyptian passenger who suddenly faces suspicion in the wake of what happens.
His experience is among a handful of charged moments in what is a very uplifting show.
The very real fears that would have been felt over the course of five days are captured beautifully in songs such as On the Edge and Darkness and Trees.
The show motors when everyone is together but takes its time to ensure poignant and charged moments punch through to great effect.
Even when the stories where it is clear from the offset how they will end, still have moments of wit and humour.
Beulah played by Casualty's Amanda Henderson provides plenty of light relief and her friendship with Bree Smith's Hannah provided another teary-eyed moment as the show neared its end.
There is great joy in every cast member's character stories, the strength of Sara Poyzer playing Beverly the plane's captain which culminates in the standout Me and the Sky to the humour of businessman Kevin (Mark Dugdale) and Bob (Dale Mathurin) who embrace what is to be a Newfoundlander.
Natasha J Barnes as Janice the news reporter arriving for her first day acting as a great narrator as the days unfurl and the community put everything into helping those that have come from away.
No interval helps the audience stay within the world in front of them, the cast rarely leave the stage and there are no elaborate set changes. It unravels in front of you, just like the events did.
You are also treated to seeing the talented band on stage as the show's story weaves the musicians in to what is happening on stage.
The bar scenes are especially brought to life when the band gets to get involved and the songs build up thanks to the wide array of instruments including an Irish whistle, Uilleann pipe, Bodhran and Bouzouki.
By my reckoning the teary-eyed count was about four by the final number and by the time the cast took their bows, everyone was on their feet, clapping and cheering and proud to be an islander.
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