Come From Away is one of those musicals that picks you up from the very beginning and doesn't let you down again until the very end, taking it with you for the whole of its runtime. 

On paper, setting any musical against the real-life backdrop of the September 11 terror attacks seems like a weird choice, but as soon as you start to learn about the people of Gander in Newfoundland and the incredible things that they did, the more it makes perfect sense. 

When all airspace was closed following the attacks, a number of planes were emergency rerouted to the nearest airport, meaning that a tiny island community unexpectedly found itself having to cater for 38 planes with 7000 people onboard. 

And so, in the one-act show, we see the kind-hearted islanders of Gander welcome their international guests to their home - romances blossom, long-lasting friendships are formed and the power of community and accepting difference provides an energising undercurrent to the whole thing. 

The songs are brilliant, making the show feel like a party and 'Me and the Sky' might be one of the additions to the list of best musical songs of all time. 

One of the most impressive things about Come From Away - which I've had the pleasure to see in the West End as well as touring at the Bristol Hippodrome - is its incredibly compact ensemble cast of actors who seamlessly bring to life a list of characters greater in numbers than their own. 

Every single individual transitions between 'plane people' and islander with the simplest of costume or mannerism changes, but it's incredibly effective because of how talented the cast are - particularly in their command of accents. 

To help achieve this, almost every cast member is on stage for the entire one hour and 40-minute length of the show - with everyone relentlessly moving from one song to the next, and one character to the next with ease.

The set itself is also incredibly simplistic, with most of the scenes just involving chairs being used in different ways to bring the settings of the island and the planes themselves to life in entirely convincing ways. 

But the best thing about Come From Away is how emotionally positive and positively emotional it is. Despite the horrendous circumstances which are on the periphery of the story, what unfolds is heart-warming, life-affirming and a reminder that the goodness of humanity is all around us.

It is impossible to watch Come From Away and not feel a little better about the world and a little closer to the people around you.