New Scottish Musical Islander to Open Off-Broadway

Producers have announced that Stewart Melton and Finn Anderson's Scottish folk musical Islander will begin performances on April 14 ahead of an April 21 opening night at the newly renamed Playhouse 46 at St. Luke's (formerly St. Luke's Theatre).

Conceived and directed by Amy Draper, Islander is about Eilidh, a young woman living with her grandmother on a small island with a rapidly aging and diminishing population. Myth and reality collide after a mysterious stranger washes up on the beach.

In her review of the 2019 run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, critic Daisy Bowie-Sell called it, "a beautiful, carefully crafted folk fairytale with harmonies that transport you to the sea and back."

The music and lyrics are by Finn Anderson, with a book by Stewart Melton. Lighting design is by Simon Wilkinson, costume design by Hahnji Jang, and sound design by Twi McCallum.

The off-Broadway production will star Kirsty Findlay and Bethany Tennick, the two actors from previous runs in Edinburgh and London.