The Off-Broadway premiere of the two-hander, a cappella musical Islander, which premiered in 2019 at the Edinburgh Fringe, has received generally positive reviews from New York theater critics. The creative team includes Amy Draper (concept, direction), Stewart Melton (book), Finn Anderson (music, lyrics, music direction), Simon Wilkinson (lights), Sam Kusnetz and Kevin Sweetser (sound), and Hahnji Jang (costumes). The cast includes Kirsty Findlay (Arran) and Bethany Tennick (Eilidh). The production is currently running at Playhouse 46 (formerly St. Luke’s).
Daily Beast (Tim Teeman): Because of when it is opening … this shimmeringly impressive musical … may be overlooked. It should absolutely not be. It has no celebrities (although its two leads Kirsty Findlay and Bethany Tennick should/will be stars). It is so good it deserves to open on Broadway, if its simplicity and ingenuity can be preserved. … Islander is played with the best kind of heart and earnestness — exacting, not cloying or didactic. … The preservation of nature and community is the underlying theme of Islander, but laced with very personal truth into the personalities and stories of Eilidh and Arran. … Islander is really gorgeous — sharp, moving, funny, and one of the best musicals in New York right now that no one (yet) knows about.
Theater Mania (Zachary Stewart): Melton’s subtly charming book, which cleverly declines to fully reveal the mysteries it allows us to glimpse, is set to an original score by Finn Anderson that exudes an a capella pop sensibility (think Pitch Perfect) with inflections of Enya. … Tennick and Findlay make it all look much easier than it is. The two performers are the driving force behind the production, easily slipping in and out of every role. … They are both gifted actors and they always seem to find the right note, with nary a pitch pipe in sight. Under the direction of Amy Draper (who conceived the show), Islander unfolds with a nimbleness that doesn’t sacrifice clarity.
Theaterly (Joey Sims): A ton of new, often daring work is hurriedly opening across New York City stages right now. But few could claim a bolder move than the new musical Islander’s fearless refusal to tone down heavy Scottish accents for New York audiences. … It forces one to truly lean in and focus, to hear the language and feel out every bit of intent. Which for this delightful new show proves very, very rewarding. …Islander is a two-hander, but a vast tale. … Islander is a sorrowful reflection on the destructive consequences of climate change, but never underlines that message, letting the story of a depleted island and forgotten young people get the point across.