Ellen Leslie
Created by Pamela Banchetti, Forget Me is a one-woman dance piece that explores storytelling and injustice using physical movement and lighting. Banchetti walks on stage, shrouded in a hooded crocheted cloak. Her movements are slow and deliberate as she takes down her hood and introduces herself as the guardian of the realm of storytelling. She is tired, she explains, due to the art of telling stories that evoke emotions being replaced with narratives that justify cruelty and unfairness. Her performance is strong and confident, commanding our attention immediately.
While the guardian is so tired she refuses to tell us a story, she has a replacement, and introduces us to a strange frog with eyes on its tongue. Her portrayal of the frog is wildly creative and delightfully creepy. A small light illuminates her in green and her hood obscures all of her face apart from her mouth as the eyes menacingly dart around her mouth.
Unfortunately, the performance goes downhill after this. While Banchetti is clearly a skilled and talented performer, the story gets lost, and the performance turns into a mishmash of physical theatre and dance scenes that are hard to follow. Between the grandmother laying an egg, the creepy frog and a woman who frantically blows kisses to the audience, it is a very bizarre performance.
The show would benefit from a shorter running time. Some parts drag on for much too long, and it feels quite repetitive. As the story is unclear, it’s impossible to work out the reasoning for some parts. Segments that are likely full of hidden meaning and symbolism are reduced to a light shining on the ceiling, or a woman weaving yarn through holes in the backdrop; and the audience lose interest after a few minutes.
The lighting is used well throughout the performance. The frog, the guardian and the woman at the end are lit up in different colours, providing a useful visual cue that the character has changed. Shadow is equally important, and the image of her silhouette as she gently walks her fingers along her arms in one of the dance sequences is simple, yet visually stunning.
Banchetti’s dancing is fantastic and the concept of Forget Me is intriguing, but the whole performance is underwhelming. Between awkward fumbling with the props, long transitions between scenes, and the unclear story in the latter half, it requires some more development and rehearsal to be more accessible for audiences, and allow Banchetti’s talent and creativity to really shine.
Recommended Drink: A Squashed Frog: melon liqueur, advocaat and grenadine.
Performances of Forget Me have concluded at Dundee Fringe 2026.
Image Credit: Fadi Elias
Salvador Kent
Clara Sunset
