Show Artwork by Michael Gelen, Inkwell Studios.
Show Information
View Irish Classical Theatre Company’s production of Islander, April 10 – 26, 2026.
SETTING: A remote Scottish island on the brink of abandonment, where myths and reality blur, and the sea holds secrets that shape the lives of those who remain.
RUN TIME: Approximately 90-minutes. No Intermission.
CONTENT NOTES: This is a family-friendly musical for audiences of all ages.
Islander is presented by special arrangement with The Agency (London) Ltd., 24 Pottery Lane, London W11 4LZ (info@theagency.co.uk), and Berlin Associates, 7 Tyers Gate, London SE1 3HX.
Cast
Kayla McSorley
Arran (DJ / Narrator Two / Whale / Mum / Jenny / Gran / Various Islanders)
Vanessa Vacanti
Eilidh (Narrator One / Various Islanders / Breagha / Whale Cow)
Production Team
Director & Choreographer
Jessica Hillman-McCord
Production Stage Manager
Liz Antonacci †
Assistant Stage Manager & Wardrobe Supervisor
Aria Heathcott
Musical & Vocal Director
Jay Teamer †
Sound Engineer & Desinger
Chris Ballard
Scenic & Props Designer
Hyla Stellhorn †
Lighting Designer
Jayson Clark
Assistant Director/Dramaturg
Aidan Heaney †
Costume & HMU Designer
Jessica Lustig †
Dialect & Speech Coach
Megan Callahan
Looping Machine Coach
Curtis Lovell †
Movement Coach
Dan Lendzian
Mic Operator
Emma Connaire †
Publicity & Archival Photos
Jorge Luna Photography
† – ICTC Debut
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 1:30pm
Join ICTC and recording artist Curtis Lovell for a behind-the-scenes look at how his work as a musician intersects with his role as Artistic Director of Ujima. In this special event, Lovell reflects on the journey that led them to both paths, and how those experiences as an artist have shaped the way he approaches leadership, creativity, and community within the organization. Experience how his practice as a musician continues to inform the vision he brings to Ujima, and how both roles influence collaboration, storytelling, and the legacy we build through the work we create.
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.
Directors’ Note:
unique. There are no instruments, no chorus, no big dance numbers; just a
minimalist set, two actors and a live looping machine creating the entire world of a
remote Scottish island. It embraces polarities, combining looping technologies with
Gaelic and Scottish mythology, telling a contemporary story through the folk
traditions of music and storytelling.
For a short piece, this musical is very rich thematically. It explores a coming-of-
age story where our characters struggle to hold onto a sense of home, community,
and family in an ecologically threatened world. Although this musical was created
a decade ago, Islander’s themes speak to our exact moment. This small island
community sharply define who is an insider or outsider and argue about whether or
not to welcome “incomers.” It explores what we pass on generationally,
particularly from mothers to daughters. Islander also has an important message
about our threatened environment, and the need to “attend,” or pay attention to the
natural world.
Islander’s very first lyrics: “River water reaches the tide, abandons the shore,
rainclouds gather, sending it back to the land,” embrace a world of cycles and
circles, like a musical loop. The musical has a swirling motion, contrasted with the
elemental and catastrophic splitting of the islands in its foundational story. Our set
design incorporates the cyclical movement and transitional spaces of this island
world, and the bells floating above reference the call to attend the natural world;
signifying beginnings, endings and transformational moments.
All of this makes Islander sound lofty and unapproachable, but this piece is funny,
charming, moving and very entertaining. On behalf of the team of artists that have
been lucky enough to work on this musical jewel, we hope you are transported to
the island worlds of Kinnan and Setesea, and we’re certain you will be as
captivated as we have been by this groundbreaking musical, Islander.
About the Cast:
Kayla McSorley (Arran/ DJ / Narrator Two / Whale / Mum / Jenny / Gran / Various Islanders)
Kayla McSorley (She/Her) is a French-Canadian Performer and Educator from Ottawa, ON. With a BFA in Theatre Performance and BA in French from NU, she has performed, taught and toured internationally and is now utilizing her strong Arts Admin & Leadership background to spark joy and wonder as the Executive Assistant at Theatre of Youth. From ocean-themed musicals to performances aboard boats and cruise ships, Kayla’s career has always drifted back toward the water which makes her debut at ICTC in Islander feel like the next wave she was meant to catch. Fun fact: Kayla has her SVOP Boating License through Transport Canada and was the General Manager, Art Director & Captain of a 40ft vessel at Pirate Life Children’s Theatre in Ottawa! Some favorite performance credits include SIX (Boleyn/Cleves/Parr), The Last Five Years (Cathy), Come From Away (Janice), Titanic The Musical (Kate McGowan), The Prom (Kaylee), Legally Blonde (Serena), Comedy of Errors (Luciana/Duke) and Julius Caesar (Brutus). kaylamcsorley.com @mcsokayl
Vanessa Vacanti (Eilidh/ Narrator One / Various Islanders / Breagha / Whale Cow)
Vanessa Vacanti is honored to be making her debut at Irish Classical Theater in this production of Islander! Vanessa is an actor, singer, and combatant based in Buffalo, NY. She has been seen previously in roles such as George (The Early Girl) with The Brazen Faced Varlets, Anelle Dupuy (Steel Magnolias) with the Lockport Palace Theater, and Trish/Ensemble (Bonnie and Clyde) with Bellissima Productions. She is also a professional jazz vocalist, and can be seen performing at venues and festivals across the state. You can see where she is performing local to you by going to her website: www.vanessavacanti.com. Thank you so much to everyone at Irish Classical for the opportunity to perform, and thank you to Dominick for all of your love and support!
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