Singing Willows and the Magical Bed
★★★☆☆ Beautiful
Scottish Storytelling Centre (Venue 30): Sat 22 – Sun 30 Aug 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson
Singing Willows and the Magical Bed from Alexandra Borghino at the Storytelling Centre on the last two weekends of the Fringe, is an attractive production for children that has the potential to be even more enticing.
Writer-director-performer Borghino, with Brad Meyer collaborating on the music, has developed this from a story in the bilingual Singing Willows story book. A young girl who has moved (yet again) into a new house with her mother finds her loneliness and fears assuaged by a series of adventures with a magical talking bed.
Mark Kydd, Alexandra Borghino and Amy Murray in Singing Willows and the Magical Bed. Pic: Terry Boydon.
There’s so much to like about this. For a start, it looks absolutely fantastic. Jenny Edwards’ costume designs (notably a depiction of a cloud) are tremendous, and so is the bed (built by David McCallum). There’s also music, projections, voice-over, some low-key audience participation and even a bit of French.
Notably the production is wonderfully inclusive, with BSL thoroughly integrated into the performance courtesy of the excellent Amy Murray (who is sporting that cloud costume). Besides these dates, it also had two performances at this year’s Edinburgh Deaf Festival.
Borghino’s enthusiastic performance as the girl is backed up by Murray, Meyer’s quietly reassuring onstage music, Mark Kydd’s very fine performance as the bed, and Cameron McGarva’s authoritative voiceover.
Despite all that is good, however, there is the odd thing that stops this being outstanding. Sometimes there is just too much going on, with the projections probably being unnecessary, and the audience participation could do with a little more thought. The songs appear fragmentary, with the lyrics being a trifle on-the-nose in their messages about friendship, dreams and positive thinking.
Show not tell
There’s a similar issue with the voiceover. The story has not quite made the transition from the printed page to the stage. It doesn’t satisfy to have someone telling us how much the central character has grown, and how much she has conquered her fears, when it could be demonstrated by the performers.
And when there are several people on stage, it must be possible to show that the characters are ‘enchanted by the whimsical atmosphere around them’ rather than having someone inform us of it. Neither children nor adults like to be told so clearly what to think.
A few tweaks, however, and a production that is already inclusive, involving and genuinely charming could have even more appeal.
Running time: 45 minutes (no interval).
Scottish Storytelling Centre Netherbow Theatre), 43-45 High St, EH1 1SR. (Venue 30).
Saturday 22/Sunday 23, Saturday 29/Sunday 30 August 2026.
Sat/Sun: 11am.
Tickets and details: Book here at EdFringe.com.
Tickets direct from venue: Book here.
Singing Willows website: https://singing-willows.com/
Facebook: @SingingWillowsCompany
Instagram: @singing.willows
The cast of Singing Willows and the Magical Bed: Alexandra Borghino, Mark Kydd, Alexandra Borghino, Amy Murray, Cameron McGarva and Brad Meyer. Pic: Colin Hattersley.
ENDS
