“★★★★★
Sublime ... blends songs, poetry and spoken word, all delivered in soothing, honeyed tones, to celebrate the wondrous natural beauty of the tree and to praise the generations of keepers who ensured its survival.””
Raw Material
WINDBLOWN
Written, Directed, Composed & Performed by Karine Polwart
Composer & Sound Design: Pippa Murphy
AV Design: Jamie Wardrop
Set Design: Neil Haynes
LX Design: Lizzie Powell
Movement Direction: Janice Parker
Pianist: Dave Milligan
Creative Producers: Gillian Garrity & Margaret-Anne O’Donnell
Commissioned by: Raw Material
Supported by Creative Scotland
A hauntingly beautiful tribute to a palm tree facing its chainsaw demise, Windblown is a spellbinding blend of folk music, conjured sound, intimate storytelling and stunning, immersive visuals.
Step into a world of song, story and stillness with this exquisite, theatrical ‘parting glass’ to a 200-year-old Sabal palm brought from Bermuda to Scotland in the early 1800s, and to the gardeners who loved it.
Beneath a mesmerising canopy of sculpted fronds, accompanied live by pianist Dave Milligan, Karine Polwart gives voice to the palm itself, tracing its extraordinary life and final days; exploring themes of colonial legacy, ecological care, grief and resilience.
Windblown is a deeply moving, luminous production that provoked a powerful emotional response in audiences at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2025, receiving five-star reviews across the board. Join us for this unforgettable meditation on our connection to the natural world and the quiet, enduring acts of love that sustain it.
“★★★★★
A work of monumental beauty... Karine Polwart and Pippa Murphy’s songs - a rich blend of chamber folk stylings - give voice to Old Sabal with clarity and heart.””
“★★★★★
Pure magic ... an exquisite 60-minute song cycle””
“★★★★★
Sublime, a tender, glowing paean to nature, humanity and life itself” ”
“★★★★★
This is a truly wonderful show. An extraordinary, anthropomorphic, elegiac hour.””
“★★★★★
Extraordinary ... A remarkable piece of storytelling, quiet and serene, as subtle as it is smart, both parable and not.””
PRODUCTION TEAM:
Executive Producers Gillian Garrity & Margaret-Anne O’Donnell
Associate Producer Jana Robert
Production Manager Suzie Normand
Company Stage Manager Naomi Stalker
Sound Technician Joe Seal
LX & AV technician Daniel Pirie
Costume Supervisor Victoria Brown
Design and Marketing Manager Niall Walker
Press Manager SM Publicity
Social Media Manager Nicola Watson
Bookkeeper Mark Jacques
EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE 2025
9-13 AUGUST 2025: The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
PART OF MADE IN SCOTLAND SHOWCASE 2025
Set design images:
