Impact, which is directed by Kira Simring and written and performed by actor/musician Amy Engelhart, is an emotional piece about the 1988 terrorist attack, also known as the Lockerbie Bombing. Having personal connections with five of the passengers on the plane, Engelhart's writing and performance leaves the audience with tears in their eyes and a lump in their throat throughout the piece. Impact, which is aptly named, remembers and honours the 270 victims of this attack, along with the ripples that reverberate through their loved ones even today.
Impact recounts the tragic Pan Am Flight 103 (in context of this play- Heathrow in London to John F Kennedy in New York City) in 1988. The flight's 243 passengers and 16 crew members were killed after a smuggled bomb denoted, and the resulting explosion left debrie and craters in the Scottish city of Lockerbie (where a further 11 local residents became casualities). The flight's passengers included 35 students from the Syracuse University returning home after a semester abroad.
Engelhart, who had previously been on the same international programme, and had personally known five of the students, guides the play with a first hand grief that is still fresh. Littered with anecdotes about these five students, most notably her close friend Nicole Boulanger, Engelhart's personal experiences gives the play a sense of quiet power that can not be denied. Detailing this event, Engelhart continues to explain how this event continued to influence and mould her life even decades later, and lastly focuses on Engelhart's trip to Lockerbie to pay her respects.
The show reiterates that there are "no coincidences, only connections" through a series of "thin moments" (small moments that are connected to something bigger), such as a work gig bringing Engelhart to England, to connecting with Kim (Nicole's best friend) on a random Facebook group, to meeting Colin Dorrance at Lockerbie and many many many more. Engelhart places bells along the front of the stage, ringing them each time a thin moment or deeply connected moment is mentioned, adding an air of whimsy and magic to the performance. The lines of connections that follow Engelhart from 1988 through to present times is astoundingly strong and makes for a wonderful emotional thread to weave through this attack. Furthermore, Engelhart opens up her definition of connections by reiterating how the town of Lockerbie has responded to this attack, taking the loss of the passengers as their own.
Engelhart manages to convey the depth of love and support that Lockerbie poured into the metaphorical and literal craters left by this attack, which leads to an overwhelming heartwarming feeling. Engelhart, in short, wrenches every last fibre of emotion from the audience, between her intimate moments of grief and vulnerability and linking it to her own childhood struggles that prevailed through to adulthood. Engelhart also spitfires the endless list of good deeds by the residents of Lockerbie.
Impact reminds one of the beloved award-winning musical Come From Away, yet with a darker overtone and an alternate worst case scenario reality. However the elements of community, hope, inspiration and warmth ultimately engulf this tragedy, resulting in a movement that still vibrates in the heart of Lockerbie. Engelhart is careful to place herself and her grief into the play without drawing the attention away from the terrorist attack, and the tragedy of the event. Through song, Engelhart immortalises the event, and the passengers with exceptional song writing that is devastating and beautiful all at once.
Impact leaves a remarkable impact in a short hour, taking its audience on an emotional ride. Grief and love take the front seat in this beautiful yet tragic show.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Peter Serocki and Alex Stein
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