Karine Polwart: Windblown

Written, Directed, Composed & Performed by Karine Polwart 

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 Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden in the early 1800s, and to the gardeners who loved it. 

Beneath a mesmerising canopy of sculpted fronds, accompanied live by pianist Dave Milligan, 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. 

Commissioned by Raw Material. Supported by Creative Scotland.