ISLANDER Comes to Olney Theatre Center Next Month

Islander, winner of Best New Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and an off-Broadway hit, comes to Olney Theatre Center for three weeks of performances, April 11 - 28, 2024, on the Roberts Mainstage. In the show, just two performers use live vocal loops and electronic mixing effects to create a musical landscape as rich and dramatic as the Scottish seascapes that serve as the story’s background.   

Tickets cost $54-$96 and are available at olneytheatre.org or by calling the box office (301-924-3400).

Islander tells a modern myth straight out of Scottish folklore. Eilidh is the only child on Kinnan Island, where most of the dwindling population has moved to the “Big Land.” The government has proposed resetting the rest, and the town must vote soon on whether or not to accept the offer. But the day after a baby whale beaches itself, Eilidh discovers a young girl named Arran along the shore, who seems straight out of Scottish myth. As the two form a friendship, Islander takes audiences on a magical journey to transcend loss, recover hope, and find community.

Because of the demands on the role, performances are split among an ensemble of four actors. Lois Craig and Sylvie Stenson play the lonely but mischievous Eilidh, while Stephanie MacGaraidh and Julia Murray handle the role of the mysterious Arran. The two featured actors also portray the many colorful residents of Kinnan Island as they debate whether to abandon their dwindling isle. (Headshots and bios available at olneytheatre.org/islander.)

“Islander cast a powerful spell on me when I saw it in 2019 in Edinburgh,” says Olney Theatre Center’s Artistic Director, Jason Loewith. “Relying only on the vocal talents of two extraordinary performers, Islander uses technology to weave a magical, haunting story of resilience and sisterhood. It’s a story that transcends generations, and we think Eilidh, Arran, and the residents of Kinnan Island will thoroughly enchant everyone from our youngest to our oldest audience members.” 

Islander was conceived and originally directed by Amy Draper and staged and associate-directed for the 23/24 international tour by Eve Nicol. The book is written by Stewart Melton, and music and lyrics are by Finn Anderson. After a celebrated and critically acclaimed run off-Broadway, the Islander creative team is joined by scenic designer Emma Bailey (Six, Broadway & West End), touring the US and UK with a new physical landscape.  Lighting design is by Simon Wilkinson, costume design by Hahnji Jang and sound design by Sam Kusnetz.

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