The Islanders – Bristol Old Vic

This afternoon I was one of a handful of people invited to a scratch performance of The Islanders, a new theatrical piece by Amy Mason. Amy is someone I first ‘met’ on Twitter about two years ago, and have since met in person a few times. But most of all I know her to be a Bristolian writer in residence, a position she held at Spike Island until recently.

The Islanders is her first footstep into the world of playwriting. The show is a two-hander between Amy and her real-life ex Eddie Argos, and they’re supported by musician Jim Moray. The show is also a reinterpretation of their doomed teenage relationship, which saw them set up home in a grotty bedsit, only eat orange coloured food, and take a misty-eyed holiday to the Isle of Wight.

What The Islanders shows is that thanks to the benefit of hindsight, two people’s memories of the same experience can vary wildly – and this is beautifully illustrated in the sketch where Amy and Eddie read out postcards they sent home to their families: “Wish you were here… instead of us.”

Billed as a lo-fi musical, The Islanders is an affectionate and honest insight into the sort of relationship most of us probably experienced in our younger years… meaning it’s something most of us can identify with (I’m quite sure I could), which makes the performance all the more successful.

The Islanders will return to Bristol Old Vic’s Studio in April for a three-night run. Click here for more information and to buy tickets.