Come From Away musical coming to Civic Theatre sparks memories of Central Coast couple caught up in the 9/11 crisis

The couple were returning from a professional conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, where Iain, an esteemed scientist, was a participant, flying from Heathrow Airport in London direct to Chicago, on United Airlines flight UAL929, with a connecting flight to their home in San Diego.

But like every flight heading to the US on that day, things did not go to plan.

The ripple from the mayhem in New York, where two airplanes were hijacked and flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, meant every aircraft heading to US airspace was forced by authorities to land immediately.

Thirty-eight commercial aircraft loaded with nearly 7000 passengers were directed to land at YQX, Gander International Airport, on the island of Newfoundland, in the north-east corner of Canada, once deemed the largest airport in the world because of its longest runway, which serviced refuelling airplanes on trans-Atlantic flights.

The Campbells' flight was one of those forced to land in Gander, where they were required to spend the next 26 hours on the aircraft, as the world had no idea if there was more terror or terrorists, in the sky.

The story of what unfolded over the next days in Gander has been immortalised in a musical, Come From Away, which tells the tale of the encounter between the lost citizens forced to land in a place they never imagined, and the Gander locals, who came to their aid in every way.

As Michael Byrne wrote in Weekender in December after seeing the production in Sydney: "It was upon that ordinary and unassuming town that some 7000 airline passengers suddenly descended, like a human squall of fear and confusion."

Come From Away is locked in for a major run of 31 shows at the Civic Theatre in Newcastle, starting on February 15 and running through March 5. As of this week, more than 11,000 tickets have been sold.

The same show plays Adelaide March 28 to April 16, followed by Perth from May 6.

The show has won a Tony, and was voted Ticketmaster's Australian 'Ticket of the Year'.

Iain and Julia Campbell, now ages 67 and 66 respectively, in a promotional visit for the musical this month, still vividly recall their experience.

"It was almost surrealistic in many respects," Iain says. "Here we are, stuck inside this plane, and you know, learning what's happened in New York that shut down the entire US airspace. And soon realising it wasn't only us who were impacted. The enormity of the situation.

"And disembarking after 26 hours on the plane. We were tired, we were confused, and really, didn't have any idea what was going to happen to us, or how long we were going to be stranded in Newfoundland.

"It was from that point on, that our lives changed quite dramatically, in the sense that we got off the plane and were immediately greeted by the Red Cross, who had set up tables and were giving care packages and sandwiches and toothbrushes - 'cause we didn't even have any food left on the plane to eat."

All of the passengers on the Campbells' flight were taken to the Salvation Army church in Gambo, 40 minutes from the airport. Women were given Red Cross cots to sleep on, the men had to settle for church pews as beds.

And that was home for the next six days - their aircraft was the 37th to leave the island, resuming the flight to Chicago on a Sunday - 9/11 occurred on Monday. With a flight change, they reached San Diego just before midnight on the Sunday.

As Julia recalls, "And the chap at the carpark in San Diego said, 'have you been impacted by 9/11?' We could barely speak. As much as we had been cared for, we barely slept for those days."

The couple moved back to Australia in 2004, moving to St Huberts Island on the Central Coast.

The musical is an amazingly precise account of the experiences of the stranded passengers, airline staff and Newfoundland locals during that time, the Campbells say. It certainly reflects their own memories of the moment.

"What everybody in Newfoundland understood: what was happening to us," Julia says. "We were stranded somewhere foreign, 9/11 had occurred. Unlike those in their hometowns who could rely on someone to say, 'Oh my god, look what's happened, isn't that terrible' - everybody grasped on to their family and friends, we didn't have that. Everybody on the plane - they were strangers to us,

"Iain and I had each other, thank goodness. But what these people did, they took us in. They made it of their highest importance, to make us their family, and that is what they did. They fed us, they clothed us, they just poured their hearts and souls into making sure [we were ok]."

In 2001 mobile phones were not common. The Campbells befriended one person on the flight who had a mobile phone and got in touch with family. But then relied on an impromptu bank of three computers (including Iain's own laptop) set up at the church for the whole group of UAL929 passengers to communicate with the world.

Ever since that period, the Campbells have stayed in touch with people they met during that time. The passengers on UAL 929 set up a Facebook site, which continues to this day, and the Campbells have kept in touch with their Newfoundland carers, who are now friends.

They've seen the musical at least half a dozen times, and enjoy every moment.

"I absolutely love it," Iain says. "It was so close to our experience. The emotions, the type of problems that arose in the show that come up were exactly the type of issues and problems that we had as the passengers who were at the other end. The show is an amazing reflection of what actually happened. When you see the show, you will feel what we felt. It's quite masterful, the whole thing."

The Campbells have kept a scrapbook of photos, mementos and emails from the time.

Julia specifically still has a bottle of Flower of Kenzo perfume, which she purchased at Heathrow Airport before boarding that fateful flight.

I've always cherished this bottle of perfume," she says. "I wore it today, I only wear it on special occasions. I still have half a bottle, and it's now 21 years old."

The Campbells have not returned to Gander. They were going to go to the 20^th anniversary in 2021, but the COVID pandemic made that impossible.

But watching Come From Away keeps their memories strong.

Speaking about the musical, Julia says, "When it begins, Iain and I, when we went for the first time - and it still happens now - we just look at each other and say, 'Oh my god, they nailed it, that's exactly what it was like.' It's so incredible. Twelve people on the stage, with so few props, they take on the roles of several people. It's incredible. The energy that they have is phenomenal.

"This is unique, but then, the whole story is unique."

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