On Saturday we took our last trip to the Liverpool Theatre Festival 2022 to watch The Forgotten Forest and it was a lovely way to round off two weeks full of shows, with a family friendly afternoon treat.
The Forgotten Forest is an interactive and fun play with a couple of very important messages embedded into the story. It tells the tale of three animals who are about to lose their homes in the Forest as the evil Queen plans to bulldoze the place down and build herself a castle on it instead.
Why does she want to do this? Because the forest is full of litter and looks unloved and uncared for. However, the animals work together with the help of a little girl to clean the place up and persuade the Queen to change her plans. Thus demonstrating the need to look after our green spaces and take our rubbish home with us.
The second message is slightly more subtle and only really comes into play at the end but it is still a much needed reminder to everyone to be kind to one another, to like people for who they are and to accept their differences as everyone needs friends.
Review
The Forgotten Forest is a upbeat, interactive family show. I took my two year old daughter to see it and whilst some of the scripted parts of the play weren’t for her and the messages probably went over her head she absolutely loved the music and dancing. She copied the moves and joined in as best she could laughing along with the animals. She also really enjoyed using the “rubbish” shakers to make music and was transfixed when the characters came down from the stage and interacted with the children.
From a parents point of view it was a very relaxed show and due to the moving around of the characters, the music, dancing, booing and regular interaction there was no need to worry about trying to keep the children sat still or quiet for too long.
Personally I would say that the show is suitable for children of all ages but that the ones that will get the most from it and hopefully take on board the important messages about pollution, recycling and friendship would be those aged 4-7.
The Liverpool Theatre Festival 2022 has now come to an end and it has been a pleasure to be invited along to review a number of the shows. There really has been something for everyone from Cabaret to musicals, drag acts to family shows and I strongly recommend that when the Liverpool Theatre Festival releases its shows for 2023 that you treat yourself to some tickets as it is a wonderful experience, not to mention it takes place in the most stunning venue in Liverpool, The Bombed Out Church.