Come From Away set for Red Tree Theatre

The Red Tree Theatre at Tuggerah is set to present the NSW community theatre premiere of the internationally acclaimed musical Come From Away from March 7-23.

Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 airline passengers stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland, following the closure of US airspace on September 11, 2001.

Over five days, the residents of the remote Canadian town opened their hearts and homes, creating lifelong bonds in an extraordinary act of compassion.

The fast-paced and deeply moving musical is performed by a cast of 12, who take on more than 40 characters, seamlessly transitioning between roles in a gripping 100-minute performance.

Director Daniel Craig said the show had been his favourite musical since he saw it on the West End in 2018.

“(But) Come From Away has been the hardest creative challenge of all the shows I’ve directed,” he said.

“The show is basically three tables, 12 people and 14 chairs which transform through the help of storytelling and ‘chair-orgraphy’, as it is referred to.

“This show has taken total synchronicity with my choreographer Lauren Miller and my musical director Kimberly Gilbert.

“Without this team, the show would still live on the pages of the script.”

The cast (in alphabetical order) is: Grace Callaghan, Marc Calwell, Anna Carter, Luca Carter, Peter Gollop, Sian Hayes, Ruth Jordon, Khalil Khay, Damien Morley, Karen Pendleton, Brett Perkins and Sancia West.

Cast members had the incredible opportunity recently to meet with Iain and Julia Campbell, the only two Australians stranded in Newfoundland during 9/11 – who happen to be Central Coast residents.

Their firsthand accounts offer an intimate connection to the global story, making the production even more poignant for local audiences.

Since opening its doors, Red Tree Theatre has welcomed more than 50,000 patrons to 100-plus productions, becoming a cultural hub for the Central Coast.

Bringing Come From Away to its stage reinforces the theatre’s commitment to high-quality storytelling and community engagement.

Don’t miss this powerful, uplifting musical about hope, unity and the strength of the human spirit.

Tickets are available now at www.redtreetheatre.org.au.