International NewsCome From Away Reopens at London's Phoenix Theatre July 22The international hit musical resumes performances with two new cast members.
By
Andrew Gans
July 22, 2021
Gemma Knight Jones and Sam Oladeinde
Helen Maybanks
The London production of the international hit musical Come From Away welcomes audiences back to the Phoenix Theatre beginning July 22.
Performances resume with two new cast members: Gemma Knight Jones (Falsettos, Sister Act U.K. tour) steps into the role of Hannah and others, while Sam Oladeinde (Hamilton, The Book of Mormon) plays Bob and others.
Jones and Oladeinde join Jenna Boyd, James Doherty, Mary Doherty, Mark Dugdale, Alice Fearn, Kate Graham, Alasdair Harvey, Jonathan Andrew Hume, Harry Morrison, and Emma Salvo, plus Chiara Baronti, Ricardo Castro, Stuart Hickey, Sorelle Marsh, Alexander McMorran, Micha Richardson, Jennifer Tierney, and Matthew Whennell-Clark.
Come From Away tells the true story of 7,000 stranded air passengers during the wake of 9/11, and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them.
The musical has a book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein and is directed by Tony winner Christopher Ashley with musical staging by Kelly Devine. The production also features music supervision and arrangements by Ian Eisendrath, scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Gareth Owen, hair design by David Brian Brown, orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, and casting by Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher.
The London production won four Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical.
Come From Away is produced in the U.K. by Junkyard Dog Productions and Smith & Brant Theatricals. Originally co-produced in 2015 by La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre, the musical made its way to a Broadway premiere in 2017, followed by a West End opening in 2019. A U.S. national tour has engagements scheduled in 2021 across the U.S. and Canada.
Check out the London cast performing "Welcome to the Rock" during the Olivier Awards below.
The play comes on the heels of a broader cultural conversation about Dahl's work and the prejudice that was embedded in many of his most beloved stories.
