On Sunday 7 April the Royal Albert Hall played host to the theatre industry’s prestigious Olivier Awards, which saw Come From Away win four awards including Best New Musical. The show stars four GSA graduates including Jenna Boyd (Wind in the Willows) as Beulah, Mary Doherty (Henry VI) as Bonnie, Mark Dugdale, Harry Morrison and Kiara Jay. Come from Away's four Olivier awards also included outstanding achievement in music and best choreography.
Jenna graduated from GSA in Musical Theatre and has since been hugely successful in theatre including roles in Love on The Links (Salisbury Playhouse); My Fair Lady (Teatro di San Carlo, Italy); Wind in The Willows (London Palladium and UK Tour);How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Royal Festival Hall); I Can’t Sing (London Palladium); Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (DuTac, Dubai); Candide (Opera National de Lorraine); Street of Dreams (Manchester Arena); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Trinity, Tunbridge Wells); The Sound of Music (UK Tour); Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre) and The Beautiful Game (Cambridge Theatre). She has also appeared in TV roles including Harry Hill’s Alien Fun, Tracey Ullman’s Show, Doctors and Casualty.
Mary Doherty graduated from GSA in Musical Theatre and is a hugely respected actress whose roles include Girl From The North Country (West End), Twelfth Night (National Theatre), Henry IV Trilogy, Anne Boleyn, All’s Well That Ends Well, Henry VIII (The Globe), Inherit the Wind (Old Vic), Merry Wives the Musical (RSC), Two Cities (Salisbury Playhouse), Avenue Q (West End), Grease (UK Tour). Her film and television credits include Shakespeare Uncovered and True Stories. Her radio credits include How to Have a Perfect Marriage and The Saudi Prince and the Pauper.
Come From Away tells the true story of how welcoming the small Newfoundland community of Gander was when 38 passenger aeroplanes were forced to land there on September 11.12 cast members play 84 characters during the show, changing characters by making simple costume changes on stage. The show is currently on at the Phoenix Theatre in London.