Opening Night for Islander was on Thursday evening and the Popsy stage was perfectly intimate for this musical production, blending the realities of remote living with Scottish folk tales to create a mesmerizingly contemporary performance about resilience, courage and connection.
Conceptualised by Amy Draper, we were transported to the fictional island of Kinnan. As it’s population declines, the only young girl left on the island, Eilidh, performed by Rebecca Ordiz, finds herself conflicted between the promise opportunities that the Mainland offers, and watching her traditions and culture slip away. Her unsuccessful attempts to save a beached whale calf becomes the catalyst for friendship as an enigmatic stranger is washed ashore. The introduction of Arran, performed by Georgia Laga’aia adds a sense of mysticism, weaving folk tales into the storytelling that has been adapted seamlessly to privilege Australian and Pasifika voices, and Samoan culture in particular as Georgia Laga’aia brings her own understanding of diasporic identity to the role.
With an almost bare stage and in the round, the two performers were exceptional, making good use of the space to create an immersive experience, where direct eye contact brought the audience right into the experience. Oscillating between a variety of characters to successfully showcase their range as actors, Georgia Laga’aia and Rebecca Ordiz dynamically switched voice and action to distinctively embody the fullness of the Island community- one minute a young girl, the next the local curmudgeon or a pregnant woman, each role performed with clarity and intention.
The score was composed almost entirely of the human voice and created sense of harmony as building the soundscape happened in real time, assisted by looping technology and layered recording that added to the emotional resonance of the performance. Watching as the performers on stage used the step pedal to record musical phrases and layer their voices in real time was fascinating because every sound in the show emerged from the voice and movement of the performers. By making the storytelling integral to the musical, it served to reinforce the power of the human voice – an insight pertinent to the cultural insights of the musical as a whole, speaking to a diaspora where connection to culture is deeply personal, nuanced and complex.
The minimal set design, draws attention to the simple yet symbolic costume design, celebrating the intersection of cultures and contributing to the environmental and cultural insights that underpin the production. As Eilidh and Arran find connections, the show leaves the audience with an understanding of the human capacity to unite despite differences and the importance of finding common ground as we face the future.
ISLANDER is being performed at Australian Theatre For Young People, The Popsy, Dawes Point NSW, Australia, until October 17.
https://events.humanitix.com/islander-hfuvge8a
