Return to the Forest at Aviva Studios is magical, immersive, and family‑friendly

Review by Steve Cooke with Jade Duckworth

Return to the Forest at Aviva Studios blended puppetry, dance, music, and object‑led storytelling into a thoroughly enjoyable, vivid theatrical journey.

This five‑star, immersive adventure transformed Aviva Studios’ vast North Warehouse into a living, breathing world of puppetry, movement, and myth, engaging children and adults alike with its inventive staging and emotional resonance.

The audience began inside a museum exhibit, wandering among five artefacts before the “museum closes.”

A playful heist sequence unfolded as performers dodged alarm beams and attempted to steal the objects. When the alarm was triggered, the audience was ushered into a second space, an expansive “forest”—where the objects’ stories came alive through dance, puppetry, and music.

This two‑part structure delightfully created a sense of discovery and surprise, culminating in a moment that produced gasps from the audience.

Jade's view from the audience , "The cast were fantastic dancers and incredibly versatile performers.  The show was mesmerising and really drew the audience into their magical world.  It was a weird and wonderful act; it was humorous and well timed with amazing choreography.  The whole event was entertaining and engaging at times reminding me of the orisha works.  The final immersive activity involving the children in the finalisation of the heist was superbly done and exciting for the audience members participating.  An incredible concept well executed.”

Return to the Forest referenced several recurring themes:

Each object revealed its cultural or ancestral story, often rooted in global traditions.

The heist setup evoked questions about ownership and cultural memory, though the show remained accessible and joyful rather than didactic. Togetherness and community through encouraging movement, participation, and shared wonder, being playful, vibrant, and emotionally warm, with moments of both high energy and meditative calm.

The excellent Performances & Creative Team included.

Choreography: Gregory Maqoma. Direction: Sue Buckmaster, a renowned puppetry specialist. Music: Frank Moon & Domenico Angarano. Ensemble: Multi‑talented performers who blended dance, puppetry, vocals, and physical theatre. Teele Uustani’s puppetry was fluid and transformative with Xolisile Bongwana’s vocals and percussion providing the beating heart of the production. The dynamic ensemble movement, successfully integrated audience proximity and 360‑degree staging.

Although Return to the Forest was marketed for ages 8+  this wonderful production was not only children’s theatre with adults in the audience finding it rich and thought‑provoking.

The show’s interactivity as the audience moved between spaces and sat close to the action kept younger audience members engaged throughout without compromising artistic depth.

The North Warehouse was used expertly to its full potential:  Divided into two contrasting environments (museum → forest) with immersive staging that surrounded the audience. Lighting and costume design burst spectacularly with colour and symbolism.

The space’s scale very effectively enhanced the sense of adventure and transformation.  

The enticing, magical five star show for everyone certainly brought the WOW factor to the Aviva Studios.

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