THE LISTENING TREE

By Zoë Bullock

Commissioned by Imaginate for the Family Encounters programme, Edinburgh International Children’s Festival 2021. A site-specific piece performed at the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens and at Eastwood Park Theatre, produced by EcoDrama.

What sounds do the trees make?

Rustling. Whooshing. Whispering.

Sithy is a tree spirit. It’s her job to listen to all the secrets of all the trees, all across Scotland. Trees listen to everything, you see, and oh the stories they can tell! There are fun secrets, funny secrets, secrets from all the animals and all the people. Except… Sithy is getting a bit tired. It’s a very big job, after all, for just one tree spirit to do on their own. The Listening Tree is a roaming character performance for all the family. Find yourself entranced and intrigued by this mysterious tree spirit and their stories, brought to life using real plants! Learn how to listen to the trees, and find a new way to play in the green spaces all around us.

Director: Emily Reid

Costume Designer: Mona Kastell

Performers: Sarah Miele (pictured) and Saffron Gillies