ISLANDER

Conceived by AMY DRAPER
Book by STEWART MELTON
Music & Lyrics by FINN ANDERSON

April 10 – 26, 2026

Regional Premiere Production

A spellbinding new folk-musical about community and connection, myth and reality for audiences young and old.

The mist unfurls. An island divides. A future is born.

There is a girl. She 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. Islander is a breathtaking, folk-infused musical that transports audiences to a remote Scottish island where tradition and modernity collide. Featuring a stunning, looping vocal score and performed entirely by two actors, Islander weaves a mesmerizing tale of myth, community, and self-discovery. With its haunting melodies and immersive storytelling, this critically acclaimed production is a must-see for lovers of innovative theater and enchanting folklore.

Additional Programming:

Open Rehearsal (for Subscribers Only): Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 6:30 PM

Community Matinee Preview ($12/Ticket): Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM

Opening Night Reception: Friday, April 10, 2026  at 7:30 PM

Pay-What-You-Will Performances*: 
Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 7:30 PM
*Purchase in-person at the Box Office on the day of the performance. Seating subject to availability.

Speaker Series: Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 1:30 PM

Talk Back Thursdays: Engage with the Creators! After every Thursday performance, stay for a free Talk Back where members of the creative team discuss their roles and answer your questions about their creative journey.
Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 7:30 PM

About the Creators:

Amy Draper is a theatre-maker and director based in Bristol, UK. She has directed projects in many genres at venues ranging from rural community halls to the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her passion is creating new musical theatre, and, as well as Islander in all its iterations on stage and screen, recent shows include Day of the Living (RSC) and These Trees are Made of Blood (Southwark Playhouse / Arcola). She has experience making work with and for audiences of all ages and family work includes Princess Charming (UK tour) Jane (in development with Tobacco factory), Bob (in development with Bristol Old Vic) and Hansel and Gretel (Iris Theatre). Amy is an experienced education practitioner with companies such as the RSC and National Theatre, and regularly leads workshops for universities and drama schools such as Rose Bruford and Bath Spa, where she is an Associate Lecturer. www.amydraper.co.uk

Stewart Melton is a writer, director and dramaturg. He scripted Islander, which was selected for the Made In Scotland 2019 showcase and was recently broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
His other scripts include Distance Remaining (Digital Tour), Seesaw (Unicorn Theatre/ Haya Arts Center/ National Theatre of Greece), Time Lapse (Southwark Playhouse), Phoenix and Turtle (Little Angel Theatre) and Two Endless Minutes (Young Vic). Adaptations for the stage include A Boy and a Bear in a Boat (Spark Arts).
Direction includes See Me Now (Outside Edge Theatre Company), Woolwich Tales (Tramshed), and Everyday Heroes (Kani Multicultural Centre, Japan). He has worked as a dramaturg with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bristol Old Vic, Hull Truck, Ovalhouse and Arcola Theatre.

Finn Anderson is a Scottish musical theatre writer and singer-songwriter. He has co-created four award-nominated musicals, released two albums, and collaborated with leading theatre companies, venues, artists and musicians throughout the UK and internationally.

Most recently, he co-created Edinburgh Fringe hit Islander, winning Musical Theatre Review’s Best Musical award before a London run where the show was nominated for the Off West End Award for Best New Musical. Islander has been translated into Korean and Polish, adapted for BBC Radio 4, and recreated for screen with Dundee Rep and Eden Court Highlands.

Other musical theatre writing includes Call to Adventure (National Theatre of Scotland/BBC, Scenes For Survival), City of Dreams, A Mother’s Song (American Music Theatre Project/Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Come Hell or High Water (Citizens Theatre/Sky Arts), and Streets (Hackney Empire/The Vaults, ‘Best New Musical’ nominee, Off West End Awards). Finn has composed music for projects with Scottish Dance Theatre, Traverse Theatre, ThickSkin, Upswing Aerial Circus, Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, Bush Theatre, and Horsecross Perth. He is currently the Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer at The Lowry and Hope Mill theatres in Manchester.

As a singer-songwriter, Finn released his second album ‘Into the Arms of Ghosts’ in 2021. He has toured and performed throughout the UK, including regular performances with ‘Bogha-frois: Queer Voices in Folk’, a community of musicians and songwriters working to increase LGBTQ+ visibility within the Scottish folk tradition.