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Islander at the Southwark Playhouse: This Mystical Folk Musical is the Strongest in London Right Now

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I can’t even pretend to do my usual joking around or easing in to the review with a funny story or quip. Islander, the new Scottish folk musical at the Southwark Playhouse, is a perfect show. It’s flawless. There’s not one line, one beat, one twist of the story that isn’t purposeful, genuine, and portrayed with an artistic verve that I haven’t seen in a UK-bred work in ages. This tiny little amazing show, performed in the Southwark’s ‘Little’ room, a claustrophobic black box theatre, is showing up every major West End musical right now with its intriguing, unique sound and its captivating story. You all know how much I adore pointing out the things I would fix or change in shows to make them tighter, deeper, better/faster, higher, stronger. That’s my favorite thing, to consider how I could take a good show and make it great (or a bad show and make it watchable). The only thing I can even think of for Islander is that they moved this black trunk, the only set piece, around a lot for no real reason. THAT’S IT THAT’S ALL I GOT.

Straight from this summer’s Edinburgh Fringe, where it won a Best Musical award, Islander (conceived and directed by Amy Draper) is a four-hander (see previous posts; change approved) telling of life on a remote Scottish island from the perspective of a young girl (Bethany Tennick) named Eilidh (not how I would have spelled ‘Alie” either) and, well, everyone else she comes into contact with (Kirsty Findlay). Eilidh’s quiet, secluded life bursts open to fascination, first when she discovers a beached whale calf, and then when a mysterious young girl arrives on Kinnen (I’m going to be spelling everything wrong, okay? those accents are HARD) claiming she’s from the mythical floating island of Settesea. The connection between the two visitors is other-worldly, thrilling, and keenly conveyed, like Islander as a whole. But the way they get this supernatural, mythical storyline (with a book by Stewart Melton) to seem completely grounded and believable makes this show truly brilliant. At times it feels poignant and political, a commentary on perhaps our own Brexit struggles. At times it feels like a coming-of-age story (complete with a pretty funny way to portray a phone ringing.) At times it feels like a small town drama with all the frustrations and problems you’d expect. And it all works together.

The friendship between the two girls amid this vibrant portrait of life on the remote island, completely with a wide range of well defined characters, are all impeccably done. Findlay’s ease in dipping in and out of the various characters she inhabits is a masterclass in character and voice work, like watching a young Tatiana Maslany but live on stage (and if she were an amazing singer). Together with Tennick’s wide-eyed innocence as Eilidh, the two create a thriving town of believable, indelible characters with nothing but their own talent. No sets, no real costumes, no props, just the words they’ve been given and what they can do with them.

And what they do with them is made into magic with the distinctive musical sound created by Finn Anderson. His music is beautiful and often moving. And the way it’s performed is the key here. The two performers create an immersive sound using a soundboard with looping technology, so we see them in real time take one phrase of sound and add on and on and on until they’ve created an entire world of incredible music informing all aspects of this seaside village life. The two are both wonderful, truly talented singers, but they do so much more than sing. They create the sound of water dropping from a dilapidated ceiling, they create the sound of a turbulent storm, they create the sounds of whales and the sounds of angry crowds and they somehow know exactly what buttons to push to get it all to record and stop and start flawlessly and I got confused just trying to watch what buttons they hit and how it worked and I was like WHAT IS HAPPENING THIS IS MAGIC for the entire 70 minutes.

Like a famous predecessor from the Fringe, if there is any justice this show should Fleabag its way into the consciousness of the entire civilized world. It’s beautiful, magical, and absolutely enchanting (and not as raunchy/unsuitable for watching with your family). This is the musical I’ve been waiting to come out of the UK since Matilda, a remarkable show that I can’t find any fault with. Islander ends its run at the Southwark on Saturday but with any luck will continue somewhere else.

INFORMATION

The show is 70 minutes but like all London theatres nowadays, they hold the curtain until every latecomer has arrived, which I cannot stand. I will pay extra to the theatre that starts the show when it says and tells latecomers YA BASIC. Also throw people on their phones out, okay? That’s the theatre I want. Anyway this audience was pretty great. It’s hard to be rude when you are in the round and everyone can see you!

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