Polwart blows into Lyceum
Windblown announces 2026 Lyceum dates
Karine Polwart is to bring Windblown, her five-star EdFringe hit, to the Lyceum for four performances only from Tue 28 to Thurs 30 April 2026, with a matinee on the Wednesday.
Tickets are now on sale now, (here), with prices from £23.50 to £37.50, plus booking fee. The Lyceum has also released preview tickets for the Christmas show, Cinderella, (here) on Thursday 27 November 2025, with all seats priced £15.
Karine Polwart in Windblown. Pic: Mihaela Bodlovic.
In Windblown Polwart and pianist Dave Milligan blend folk music, conjured sound, intimate storytelling and immersive visuals to give a theatrical ‘parting glass’ to the 200-year-old Sabal palm brought from Bermuda to Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden in the 1800s.
Polwart gives voice to the palm itself as it faces its chainsaw demise; exploring themes of colonial legacy, ecological care, grief and resilience.
Beneath a mesmerising canopy of sculpted fronds, Polwart gives voice to the palm itself, tracing its extraordinary life and final days; exploring themes of colonial legacy, ecological care, grief and resilience.
universal resonance.
Æ reviewer Hugh Simpson said of the EdFringe 2025 production in his “★★★★★ Beautiful” review (here): “There is a great generosity and openhearted tunefulness to the entire production, which is seemingly understated in its focus, but with a weight far beyond its apparent concerns.
“It is difficult to imagine a more ‘Made In Edinburgh’ show than this in some ways. It would be impossible to count how many people over the years saw the massive palm tree (either in the hothouse or witnessing it trying to poke through the glass roof) or how many others would recognise the local references.
“It’s not a remotely parochial affair, however. The themes – ecological collapse, conservation, the strictures of Covid lockdowns, belonging, colonialism – have universal resonance.
“And above all, it’s astonishingly beautiful. Polwart’s measured, inviting storytelling and magnificent singing are matched by Dave Milligan’s wonderful piano playing, inflected as so often by equal parts jazz and Scottish traditions.”
Cinderella: A Fairytale
Following the preview on Thursday 27 November, the Lyceum Christmas 2025 production of Cinderella: A Fairytale runs from Friday 28 November to Saturday 3 January 2026.
Taking on the titular role of Ella is Olivia Hemmati who recently made her professional stage debut in the NTS’s KELI. Also joining the cast is the welcomed return of Nicole Cooper (Macbeth (an undoing)) as Mother; Christina Gordon (Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of)) and Lyceum Christmas favourite Richard Conlon who returns to the stage as Father.
Matthew Forbes will play Brother, Daniel Baskharoun will be the Prince and Carly Anderson will play Queen. Filling out the ensemble will be Stephanie Cremona and Leo Shak.
Sally Cookson’s Oliver award-nominated adaptation of Cinderella features music, puppetry, and festive fun, adding a magical flutter of wings to happily ever after.
Listing
Windblown
Tue 28 – Thurs 30 April 2026
Evenings: 7.30pm; Weds mat: 2.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Cinderella: A Fairytale
Fri 28 Nov 2025 – Sat 3 Jan 2026
Various times.
Tickets and details: Book here.
ENDS
