If you know the show already, and know what you want to be considered for, or you have attended an information evening and have made your decision, please fill in the audition form.
Information Evenings – Monday 18th and Thursday 21st May 2026 at 7.30pm
The creative team will share their vision for the show, talk through how their vision for the show compares to the original Broadway production and give you an overview of the characters. You will have the opportunity to learn and practice songs and movement elements that will be used at the auditions. We will also provide some guidance on what accent to use for auditions, and how we will approach the multi-roling that the show calls for.
Auditions – Sunday 31st May 2026 from 11am
You will be emailed a time slot for your audition by Monday 25th May 2026. On audition day, you will be required to sign in at the Bar and wait to be called into the audition room. We may ask to take your photo on the day to assist with deliberations, these will not be shared outside of the audition panel.
All roles are considered lead roles as well as ensemble members: we are looking for people who can do both. All roles require acting, singing and movement auditions. You will not be auditioning for a specific character. Instead you will be asked to choose one song and one monologue for your audition. You will be asked which characters you are willing to be considered for.
Audition material will include singing one or two excerpts of the following songs. If you wish to be considered for Beverley, Hannah or Claude, you will need to perform their specific songs. For all other parts, you will have a choice. The choices will include bars from:
- Beverley – Me and the Sky
- Hannah – I Am Here
- Claude – Welcome to The Rock
- Kevin T – Prayer
The acting and accent audition will require you to perform a monologue – no dialogue or interaction with a reader will be required. You will have a choice of two monologues which will be provided at the information evenings (and will be available online soon after). If you wish to be considered for Claude, you have to perform his monologue. For all other parts, you can choose the one you prefer.
Auditions will likely take a few hours, as you will be required to audition solo and in a group.
If you know the show already, and know what you want to be considered for, or you have attended an information evening and have made your decision, please fill in the audition form.
Solo audition requirements
- Song
- Monologue – with an emphasis on accents (ideally Newfoundland, but at least American).
The solo audition itself will usually last no longer than 10 minutes. The Directors may ask you to perform the pieces more than once, and notes may be given. This is part of the process and the panel will be supporting and encouraging you to perform your best on the day.
Group audition requirements
- Harmonies
- Movement
The group audition will last no longer than one hour. You will work with the Musical Director to learn and perform a song from the show to demonstrate harmony work, and you will learn and perform a movement piece with the Directors. Dancing is not required, but co-ordinated staging and movement is a key requirement of Come From Away.
The audition panel for the show will be:
- Davina Beegoo-Price (Creative Director)
- Kate Brewster (Musical Director)
- Luke Skeel (Co-Director)
- Tim Brewster (Assistant Musical Director)
- Mike Horne (Technical Director)
Casting Decisions
Deliberations will take place immediately after auditions, with casting (hopefully) being decided that evening. The cast list will be shared by email and online once offers have been made and confirmed. All casting decisions will be made based on audition performances, with the inevitable puzzle of getting the best fit for the show. We aim to be as open and inclusive with our audition processes as possible, and are happy to provide feedback to any participant after the process if requested.
Sharnbrook Theatre Mill Membership, Show Fees & Script Fee
You do not need to be a member of Sharnbrook Mill Theatre to audition, but you will need to be a member to rehearse and perform in the show. The following fees apply:
- Full Membership will need to be in place before your first rehearsal. Membership is £30 a year (running from 1st January to 31st December). Instructions of how to join are available here.
- A £10 show fee.
- Script hire is not charged for when you’re given the material. This assumes that the hired script you’re given is returned in good condition. If it is not returned in good condition, lost, or you choose to purchase and keep the script, prices start from around £25 but will need to be confirmed. We would much rather just return the scripts to the rights holders at the end of the show.
Rehearsals and Show Dates
You are very likely to be needed for the majority of rehearsals, but we will do our best to work around your availability, for dates provided on your audition form. We will share a rehearsal schedule as soon as possible to assist with your forward planning, but we will need some flexibility as always, as things inevitably change throughout the process.
All rehearsals and performances will take place at the Sharnbrook Mill Theatre where possible. Venue changes will be communicated as required, but are likely to be local to the theatre.
Rehearsals
Mondays and Thursdays at 7.30pm-10pm, from Thursday 4th June until Thursday 3rd December 2026.
Saturday and/or Sunday rehearsals will likely be required, but again we will work around availability to maximise their value.
Technical Run(s)
Saturday 5th December 2026 (please assume all day).
Band Call and Sitzprobe
Sunday 6th December 2026 (please assume all day).
Dress Rehearsal
Monday 7th December 2026, theatre open from 6.00pm, performance at 7.30pm.
Charity night performance (opening night)
Tuesday 8th December 2026, theatre open from 6.00pm, performance at 7.30pm.
Performances
- Wednesday 9th December 2026, from 6.00pm, performance at 7.30pm.
- Thursday 10th December 2026, from 6.00pm, performance at 7.30pm.
- Friday 11th December 2026, from 6.00pm, performance at 7.30pm.
- Saturday 12th December 2026
- Matinee from 12pm, performance at 2.30pm.
- Evening from 6pm, performance at 7.30pm.
Get out / take set down
A well-established tradition where the cast and crew help to take down the set and leave the dressing room in a fit state for the next production.
Sunday 13th December 2026 from 10am.
Come From Away – Synopsis
Come From Away tells the true story of when seven thousand people from across America and around the world landed on the doorstep of Gander, Newfoundland…and the people of Gander ‘put the kettle on’.
When 38 planes were diverted to a small, Canadian community on September 11th, 2001, the town’s population doubled in an instant. While the world witnessed the aftermath of the worst acts of humankind, the stranded passengers had their faith in humanity restored by the spirited people who comforted those who had “come from away”.
Character Breakdown
We will be casting 12 people for this show. There are six roles that are male-presenting and six roles that are female-presenting. We welcome all ethnicities and gender identities, and are seeking performers whose lived experience and/or ethnic heritage aligns with the cultural backgrounds of the characters, in order to ensure authentic representation. All actors will be required to play multiple roles, which will include one or two primary characters and several secondary characters.
Primary character breakdowns, in order of appearance
(Bold = Newfoundland local, Regular = Plane people, the Come from Aways)
CLAUDE: The gregarious and well-liked Mayor of Gander, Newfoundland. Claude loves his work, the townspeople and his daily traditions, but he’s never had to deal with a crisis of this magnitude before. (40-60’s)
BONNIE: A no-nonsense mother of 3, Bonnie is the head of the Gander area SPCA. When she discovers animals are trapped on the planes, she stops at nothing to ensure their safety. (30-40’s)
BEULAH: The head of Gander Legion, with a firefighter son, who walks Hannah to her church and prays with her. (40-60’s)
OZ: The quirky constable in the two-person Gander police force. When the town’s population suddenly doubles, Oz helps out in unexpected ways. (30-50’s)
DOUG: An Air Traffic Controller, married to Bonnie, who tries to help his wife and the animals. (30-40’s)
JANICE: An eager new local TV reporter, Janice is thrown into the deep end on her first day on the job. Initially naive about the world, Janice must face the pain and confusion around her. (20’s)
ANNETTE: A schoolteacher at Gander Academy with an active fantasy life. (40-60’s)
GARTH: The head of the local union, representing the Bus Drivers. (30-50’s)
BEVERLEY: The first female captain for American Airlines, Beverley Bass has always loved flying, when her world suddenly changes. (50s)
DIANE: A traditional divorcee from Texas, who is terrified that her son may have been flying at the time of the attacks. When she finds out that he’s safe, she’s given a new lease on life and discovers a wilder, more carefree side of herself. (50’s)
NICK: An English oil engineer who is focused on his work, Nick’s life is turned upside down when he falls for Diane. (50’s)
KEVIN T: The head of an environmental energy company in Los Angeles, Kevin was on vacation with his boyfriend (and secretary, also named Kevin), when they are stranded in Gander. Inspired by the town’s generosity, Kevin created the Pay It Forward Foundation. (30-50’s)
KEVIN J: Kevin’s boyfriend and secretary. Sarcastic and unhappy, he wants to leave Gander as soon as possible (30-50’s)
BOB: A hardened New Yorker, Bob is suspicious of where he’s landed, hearing that it’s World War 3, that someone is going to shoot him and steal his wallet – but instead, he ends up losing his New York jadedness in Newfoundland. (20-40’s)
HANNAH: The mother of a firefighter in Manhattan, Hannah waits for news about her son and is comforted by Beulah. (40-60’s)
ALI: An Egyptian man travelling to America who experiences isolation and Islamophobia but who finds a connection to Beulah. (30-50’s)
Here are the character “tracks” – who is playing which parts together as part of their overall performance.
Content, Intimacy and Staging
There are a range of content, intimacy and staging requirements that we want to make you aware of, so you can make an informed choice about your part in the show.
Content: This show is about events that followed the September 11th 2001 attacks in New York (9/11), and would not exist without it. Many people will have been impacted by the events that took place, both at the time, and in the years following. Although some of the elements of 9/11 are discussed, Come From Away is about 9/12 and how people responded to the event. It is a story of kindness, hope and community, finding the joy that comes from helping one another.
Intimacy: Intimacy (kissing) without nudity will be required for the characters Diane and Nick. This will be managed sensitively and discussed with you during the rehearsal process.
Violence: There is no violence and no fight sequences are planned for this show.
Staging: The staging will be chaotic at times, with actors expected to manage movement of props and staging in low lighting. The show will include the use of strobe lighting (possibly), harsh and flashing lights, loud noises, loud music, haze and smoke.
Questions
Any questions can be sent to Davina Beegoo-Price via email: davinabeegooprice@gmail.com or Mike Horne via email: mike@recantha.co.uk.
