CityLife

Islanders

Islanders
24:7 Theatre Festival 2010: Pioneer Stage
July 30, 2010

Set on one of the remoter Farne Islands, off the Northumbrian coast, Newcastle-based writer Dick Curran pits a troubled threesome against the backdrop of this splendid isolation.

Peter (Mark Frampton), a university drop out, now a warden, sulky and covered in bird lime, sits waiting for boat loads of tourists and brooding on some of the big problems of life, such as his belief that man will, quite soon, self-destruct, thanks to climate change.

Enter Nicola (Katy Slater), armed with a pack of M &S sushi and a few, not immediately obvious troubles of her own. She’s the new temporary guide and sparring partner for the grumpy Peter as she learns how to do her job and how to deal with Peter’s obsessions.

Then there’s Ellen (Claire Dean), Peter’s boss, with whom he can hardly bring himself to exchange a civil word, for reasons that are eventually revealed as the play progresses.

Film footage of the location, featuring cute puffins and flocks of other sea birds and craggy cliffs, form a prelude and also punctuate the action and there is snatches of music between scenes.

The cast are all eminently watchable and though it isn’t a great script – it’s revelations are a little too neatly packaged - overall it does hold the attention to become a pretty enjoyable 50 or so minutes and yet another 24:7 full house.

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