Eilidh stares out to sea and dreams of a new life beyond her lonely island. Myth and reality collide when the tide washes a mysterious stranger onto her beach, changing her life forever. Epic storytelling, intimately staged with a contemporary Scottish folk-inspired score.
The two-hander cast of Kirsty Findlay (Olivier Award Nominated, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour) and Bethany Tennick perform a whole host of characters, while weaving, building and layering their voices using looping technology to create an expansive, ethereal soundscape for the ears and imagination.
Winner of Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical Award – Edinburgh Fringe 2019, Islander is conceived and directed by Amy Draper with a book by Stewart Melton and music and lyrics by Finn Anderson.
#IslanderMusical
Part of Made in Scotland Showcase 2019 and originally developed in association with Comar.
★★★★ ‘What an exceptionally thoughtful new musical this is, and how imaginatively realised.’ The Guardian
★★★★ ‘The variety and near flawless execution of Finn Anderson’s music bring us to a place away from our darkened theatre to somewhere windswept, wet and ancient.’ The Reviews Hub
★★★★★ ‘This is a unique theatrical experience and not one to be missed.’ The Upcoming
★★★★ ‘It’s a perfectly finished lapidary piece, like a stone polished by the waves.’ Londonist
Nominated for two Off-West End awards: New Musical, and Director (Musicals) for Amy Draper.
The press on Islander at this year’s Edinburgh Festival:
★★★★ ‘It’s a gorgeous production, rich in wit, musicality and transformation’ The Guardian
★★★★ ‘A delicate call for empathy in divided times’ Fest Magazine
★★★★ ‘Although a new piece of work, it feels timeless, like an archetype or folk tale.’ The Stage
★★★★★ ‘Utterly heartwarming, and executes all of its ideas with magnificent aplomb’ Broadway Baby
★★★★★ ‘These eight creatives offer us an outer world of welcome, a theatrical world to open our senses and a mythic majesty for us to wonder about which is often, like our futures, “shrouded in mist and invisible by day’. Musical Theatre Review
★★★★★ ‘A flawless gem lasting only an hour, it is a modern folk tale that is hard not to fall in love with‘ BritishTheatre
★★★★ ‘It’s a beautiful, carefully crafted folk fairytale with harmonies that transport you to the sea and back‘ WhatsOnStage
★★★★ ‘Islander is an immersive, elemental and beautiful musical reflection of life in Scotland’s island communities‘ The Skinny
★★★★ ‘It doubtlessly has potential (and one suspects the ambition) for a life beyond its current shores…‘
Details
Mon – Sat: 8pm
Tue & Sat: 3.30pm
Running Time: 70 mins
No interval and no re-entry.
We strongly advise that you arrive early and take your seats in advance of the start time as there is a no latecomers policy.
Please note the show contains haze.
The Making of Islander – Tuesday 22 October 2019
Join the creatives and performers behind the award-winning production Islander for a post-show Q&A.
Video
Music
Islander: Original Cast Recording (2020)
Post Show Events
The Making of Islander – Tuesday 22 October 2019
Join the creatives and performers behind the award-winning production Islander for a post-show Q&A. This is your chance to question the team on how they created this inventive new Scottish folk musical.
James Hadley (Executive Director – Musical Theatre Network) will chair an informal conversation after the evening performance on Tuesday 22nd October. He will be joined on stage by Islander director Amy Draper, scriptwriter Stewart Melton and composer and lyricist Finn Anderson, as well as cast members Kirsty Findlay and Bethany Tennick.
The team will share insights into their unique process, navigating topics such as developing a new musical on a remote Scottish island, blending contemporary themes with traditional folklore and harnessing technologies to generate its celebrated folk-inspired score.
Entry was free with tickets to the same evening’s performance.
The Company
Kirsty Findlay
Cast
