FORWARD Theatre Project take to the country air at the Galtres Parklands Festival at Duncombe Park tomorrow with Bird, a piece of outdoor theatre about flight, freedom and the relationship between man and nature.

Written by Ben Ellis and Nikki Williams, and directed as chance would have it by A Bird – Amelia Bird to be precise – it tells the story of a lonely young boy who makes friends with a wild bird and has his eyes opened to the natural world around him. As the bird and boy grow together, he comes to realise what those who live in an urban landscape can learn from their feathered friends.

"This unusual and heart-warming modern fable features storytelling, puppetry and live music – and lots of bird poo! – and will be a feast for all the senses," says producer Corinne Salisbury. "On an outdoor stage with only the sky as its limit, we'll tell a story to appeal to adults and children alike: to anyone who has wanted to soar above the crowd and to the dizziest heights of their imagination."

The site-specific show was conceived by designer Lydia Denno with playwrights Ellis and Williams, working in collaboration with director Bird and Annie Brooks, artistic director of Brighton puppetry company Colossal Crumbs, who will be joined in a cast of three by David Hewson and Peter Hobday. Lydia Denno, should the name ring a bell, has co-designed the set and decorated the foyer and backstage for this summer's revival of The Wind In The Willows in tandem with Catherine Chapman at York Theatre Royal, where she has designed a multitude of shows.

Bird is playing a host of festivals this summer, ranging from Latitude last month to On Our Turf in Easingwold on September 6 and 7. The 45-minute show will be performed at the Galtres Parklands Festival, Helmsley, on the Galleon stage at 5.45pm tomorrow and 6.15pm on Saturday.