AN EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE WORLD PREMIERE
Across the Pond Productions presents Puffin Island
A true story of adventure, love, and the devastation of sexual assault
Puffin Island follows Cara, a college student from the States traveling around Europe, as she meets Paul, a Scottish native. Although the two quickly fall for each other, the story takes a dramatic and devastating twist when Cara leaves Paul and the UK to travel solo and is raped. This riveting true story intertwines some of the darkest moments of humanity with love, compassion, and healing.
Sexual assault is prevalent all over the world, and though it recently has become an issue that is more acceptable to talk about, many people are still unaware of how big of a problem it is or the impact it can have on victims. Many survivors of sexual assault feel alone and lost; playwright Cara Corrigansays that something that brought the most comfort to her after being sexually assaulted was hearing other stories of healing and struggle.
On creating the show, Corrigan says, “I was the victim of rape last summer in Europe, and the play revolves around that story. My hope is that it will bring more awareness to this global issue and inspire other survivors, give them hope, and show them they are not alone. Now is an incredibly good and important time for this play with the “me, too” movement gaining traction. People are becoming more willing to talk about sexual assault. I hope to give the audience a first hand experience of the effect sexual assault has on a person to personalize the issue so it is more than just a statistic.”
As sexual assault is a worldwide issue, premiering Puffin Island at the Fringe enables the story to reach the wide variety of audiences that it needs to and can bring the world together to heal, raise awareness, and work to end rape culture.
Puffin Island was written as a collaboration between Cara Corrigan and Paul Stirrat. Both writers will be performing in the show. After meeting last year, they have worked tirelessly from different sides of the ocean to bring Puffin Island to life. Corrigan is a rising senior studying Musical Theatre at The University of the Arts in the US. This year, she received national accolades with a project she started called the “Catcalling Hotline.” Corrigan has also been contracted as a contributing writer for an upcoming book about sexual harassment. Stirrat is a professional actor based in Scotland with a degree in Acting. He’s been in numerous productions around Scotland and currently holds a BASSC distinction in broadsword. Together, these two artists have collaborated from different continents to create Puffin Island.
Venue: Greenside @ Nicolson Square (Venue 209, Fern Studios)
Tickets: £9 (Full), £7 (Concession)
Previews: 3-5 Aug 2018 (£5, £3) Dates: 6-18 Aug 2018 (Except 12)
Time: 15:05 (55 min.)
Box Office: 0131 557 2124, https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/puffin-islan
Instagram: @puffinislandplay
Twitter:@puffinislplay
Facebook: /PuffinIslandPlay
