Pilot tour of The Forest Door
In February the cast and creative team were busy in the Travelling Light studio developing our new show The Forest Door. The show is for children aged 4 – 11 and incorporates a 50-minute performance, alongside interactive in-classroom activities, and support and resources for teachers and families.
Audiences enter through a portal and on the other side find themselves in a magical forest, alive with wonder and excitement. The show is about the animals in this magical forest and their quest to find the missing moon. They meet different characters along the way, including Mole and Disco Frog.
From 24 February - 7 March, we embarked on a short pilot tour, visiting 7 primary schools in Bristol and reaching 1,609 children.
“Using our ideas (from the leaves) felt like we were performing in the show ourselves.”
How did children engage with The Forest Door?
Our independent evaluator observed that all children from all ages and abilities were engaged and captivated throughout the show.
This was further enhanced at times of participation – either letters being read; the opportunity to perform their soundscapes; or join in with the music and dance.
They used words such as ‘happy’, ‘calm’, ‘compassionate’. Describing their experience as a ‘roller-coaster’ of emotions.
Teachers were surprised by the heightened level of engagement, concentration, and involvement from their classes, which exceeded their expectations, particularly from those children with additional learning, behavioural or emotional needs.
Feedback from children on the performance:
“It is funny and interactive and entertaining.” Pupil, Victoria Park Primary School
“It was amazing to be honest.” Pupil, Barton Hill Academy
“I will tell others how energetic and enthusiastic it was. They were so joyful and it felt like a comedy show.” Year 6 pupil, May Park Primary
“I would say how exciting it was and how interactive it was and I loved the costumes!” Year 6 pupil, May Park Primary
“You should definitely watch it.” Year 6 pupil, May Park Primary
“I would tell my friends that it was amazing and they missed out.” Year 6 pupil, May Park Primary
Feedback from teachers:
“Brilliantly acted, engaging, fun.” Teacher, Victoria Park Primary School
““Fantastic and very moving with a wonderful and important message.””
“Incredible! So engaging – the class loved it.” Teacher, Brunel Field Primary
“The children really felt like they were part of the quest.” Teacher, Brunel Field Primary
“Incredible! Engaging, a nice mix of emotions, great message.” Teacher, Brunel Field Primary
“Loved it! Very enjoyable and engaging. Big shout out to the bear.” Teacher, Redfield Educate together
Read The Forest Door Impact Report
To find out more about the impact of the The Forest Door, read our brief summary of the evaluation findings, via the link below:
Watch our trailer
Cast members Remi and Amy share their favourite moments
Remi Origun-Williams – performer:
“I think my favourite moment so far has been being booed as Delilah Deer so much that I couldn’t speak, because I think it showed a real engagement with the character…but also I’ve absolutely loved having “Disco Frog” chanted over and over so that my character comes back as Disco Frog. It’s good because it showed they were properly invested in the story and the characters.”
Amy Harris - performer:
“Well I’ve actually got two favourite moments. One of my favourite moments is - Belinda Bear, the character I’m playing, is a little bit clumsy and has the odd fall and reasonably often one of the children will ask if I’m OK having fallen over – that’s really cute! But also, yesterday morning I had an interaction with a child who told me a joke – “What do you call a wet bear? A drizzly bear!” Sensational!”
Photos from the rehearsal room
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