Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...Chicago has a good number of fans of Celtic music and culture and of those who seek out intimate evenings of contemplative and sometimes contemporary sounds at venues like Mrs. Murphy’s pub. “Islander” certainly will appeal to that group; Anderson’s music doesn’t follow the traditional strictures of a musical score but it’s enigmatic, distinctive and, when performed from the heart as is the case here, rather beguiling."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...The Scottish import conceived and originally directed by Amy Draper plays out on a virtually empty set, with no costume changes and nary a fluttering flake to be found. With a pair of actors portraying dozens of roles, the 75-minute production (part of Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s WorldStage Series) vacillates between serene and tumultuous, its structure and sounds evoking the mighty ocean currents integral to its story."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Performed by just two actors, who play all the roles and create all the music and sound effects through looping, this 90-minute show casts its own net upon the storytelling seas and provides rich rewards, without the Celtic acoustic music one might expect for such a tale. (Rest assured: this isn’t Brigadoon.) It may take a few minutes to adjust to the spareness of this approach and the sometimes-distancing (to me, at any rate) effect of the echoing loops of voices and sounds."
Around The Town Chicago
- Somewhat Recommended
"...Confusing but highly entertaining, “Islander: A New Musical” suffers from the fact that only two actors play multiple roles. At the very least, more actors should have been cast, because it is very hard to keep track of who is playing which character at any given moment. While the production can boast of amazingly charming music, brilliant sound effects, and gorgeous vocals, none of this cannot make up for the fact that the performance should have been structured much differently. Plus, the audience ought to be familiar with some measure of Gaelic/Scottish dialect in order to follow the story more closely."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...“Islander” is a gorgeous musical that should not be missed. The two actresses hold their audience tightly in their hands, from their first words to the final pulsating beat of music. Craig and Murray sing, record their voices and weave their harmonies over and around each other. In this incomparable production, the storyteller’s craft creates something that’s much bigger than a mere tale of friendship. It’s a blend of nature, folklore and humanity that leaves audiences with a delicious story about kindness and kinship."
The Fourth Walsh
- Highly Recommended
"...Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience! Get your tickets now! Bravo to the cast and crew, ISLANDER the Musical is selling out performances fast! I highly recommend doing whatever it takes to experience ISLANDER."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre
- Highly Recommended
"...Islander—a Scottish two-hander visiting through Chicago Shakes’s World Stage series—has all the crackle of some such epic-scaled yet intimately staged piece that its composer-performers have scraped together through sheer vim and determination and never letting the piece sprawl as they developed it with other seasoned hands. Get bigger, perhaps; sprawl, no."
Third Coast Review
- Recommended
"...As part of its WorldStage series, Chicago Shakespeare Theater brings the lyrical tale Islander, a folk-inspired musical soundscape from Scotland, to the Windy City after an acclaimed off-Broadway run and a Best New Musical award from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Amy Draper conceived and directs the 90-minute two-hander, with associate direction by Eve Nichol, book by Stewart Melton, music and lyrics by Finn Anderson."
Chicago On Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...Chicago Shakespeare Theater, by way of its WorldStage series, has a delicious tradition of groundbreaking: bringing truly exceptional work from around the world that we would never see otherwise. The work is always top notch and it can be utterly transcendent. The new musical Islander is the kind of shimmering, genre defying performance work that completely absorbs and moves you. It is truly exceptional and you won't see anything like it soon."
Chicago Culture Authority
- Highly Recommended
"...With most Chicago stages producing holiday fare, Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s always-intriguing WorldStage Series counter-programs the Christmas caroling with Islander, a small but ambitious show that mines Scottish folklore to such good effect that it was named Best New Musical at the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe."
Splash Magazine
- Highly Recommended
"...Step into a modern fairy tale with Islander, currently in production upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Set on the fictional Scottish island of Kinnan, the story follows teenage Eilidh, the youngest resident of the isle, who meets first a beached whale and then a mysterious girl on the shores of her homeland. This unique, intimate musical offers a spellbinding experience."
NewCity Chicago
- Highly Recommended
"..This is the unusual format of the new Scottish musical “Islander,” playing at Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Upstairs, as part of its WorldStage Series. Conceived and first directed by Amy Draper, with a book by Stewart Melton and songs by Finn Anderson, it’s a sweet story, beautifully performed, about a friendship between two teenage girls. One of them is a mermaid or selkie who takes care of whales. Anderson is music director and loop station sound designer for the traveling show, which won best new musical at Edinburgh Festival Fringe."
