Once on This Island

Once on This Island is a one-act musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens (born 1948) and music by Stephen Flaherty Stephen Flaherty (born 1960). Based on the 1985 novel My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl by Rosa Guy.

The show includes elements of the Romeo and Juliet story and elements of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale The Little Mermaid. It concerns a peasant girl on a tropical island, who uses the power of love to bring together people of different social classes.

The original text
The original Broadway production ran from 1990 to 1991, and the West End production opened in 1994, where it won the 1995 Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

Performance history in South Africa
Presented by NAPAC and CAPAB, directed by Janice Honeyman at the Natal Playhouse from 3 January 1993, starring, among others, Sam Marais, Owen Sejakea and Faca Khulu.

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