Islander

Theatre Elision is thrilled to return in July with the U.S. premiere of the new musical, Islander!

Conceived by Amy Draper, with Music and Lyrics by Finn Anderson and Book by Stewart Melton. Islander was first produced in the U.K. by Helen Milne Productions.

Islander premiered and was named best musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019. It went on to a successful run at Southwark Theatre in London. Called an "exceptionally thoughtful new musical" by reviewers, Islander gradually builds a "powerful feeling of otherness . . . and the unshakeable sense that there is something bigger than ourselves, whether that’s nature, religion or the myths we use to explain the world we live in." (The Guardian).

The story takes place on an island somewhere on the Scottish coast where a poor economy and uncertain future have caused many residents to leave for the mainland. Those who remain must decide whether to stay or go. Drawing from Scottish folk-lore of the sea-bound "fin-folk", myth and reality collide when the tide washes a mysterious stranger onto the beach, changing life forever.

This 75 minute musical is performed with no intermission. 

While the production only has two cast members, we will be rotating three actors during our performance schedule.  This will help ensure that we will not need to cancel performances if one of our actors becomes ill.  For us, the days of "the show must go on" theatre culture is over!  But instead of having an understudy or swing, we wanted to ensure that all artists preparing a role would have ample opportunities to perform.  As a result, we will have three casts:  

Cast A - Christine Wade as Eilidh and Emily Dussault as Arran
Cast B - Christine Wade as Eilidh and Deidre Cochran as Arran
Cast C - Emily Dussault as Eilidh and Deidre Cochran as Arran

Please go to our website at elisionproductions.com for a list of which cast will be performing at each show.