Singing Willows
★★★☆☆ Whimsical
French Institute in Scotland (Venue 168): Mon 5 -Mon 26 Aug 2024
Review by Marion Geoffray
Singing Willows at the French Institute is the brainchild of Alexandra Borghino, a French artist who has adapted her book of the same name into bilingual tunes for wee ones, to teach French and English through songs and pictures.
The stage adaptation is directed and performed by Borghino herself. A live international band accompanying her to take children aged five or so and older (although younger siblings will also enjoy it) and their adults on a whimsical musical adventure.
Alexandra Borghino and the Singing Willows. Pic Julien Borghino.
The set, of tall colourful flowers and foliage, is beautiful and enticing. The three talented musicians wear animal headpieces that make them look like a fox (magical percussionist White Deer), a badger (Brad Meyer on double bass and more) and an owl (Kaz Ali guitar and backing vocals) while Borghino appears as a green, fairy-like creature.
A screen in the background projects gorgeous illustrations from the book and is used as a visual aid for the audience to better understand what the songs are about.
Personal anecdotes are mixed with upbeat catchy songs and ballads to evoke a countryside dog, a willow tree, wintery landscapes and geometrical shapes amongst other themes. For each new tune, Borghino asks children to come and join her on stage to hold different props.
Spotlight
Some clearly enjoy being in the spotlight more than others and make for a very entertaining show.
Borghino welcomes these audience interactions with energy and skill. She makes a point of involving both adults and children in her performance. However, the bilingual lyrics projected onto the screen aren’t easily readable from a distance and can make it hard for adults to join in whenever asked.
The show overall remains accessible to both English and French speaking audiences as Borghino translates everything she says. It is well-executed throughout and children will love to be part of this enchanting bilingual world.
Running time: One hour (no interval)
French Institute in Scotland (Salle Emilienne Moreau-Evrard), West Parliament Square, EH1 1RF (Venue 168)
Monday 5 – Monday 26 August 2024
Daily (not 6/7, 13/14, 20/21): 3pm
Details and tickets at: Book here
Website: www.singing-willows.com/
Facebook: @alexandraborghinoillustrations
Instagram: @singing.willows
TikTok: @singing.willows
Alexandra Borghino and the Singing Willows. Pic Julien Borghino.
ENDS
