Forbes born and grew up in
Kingston, Jamaica. She attended Kingston Senior School before going on to Excelsior College and the Durham College of Commerce. After leaving school, she worked as a typist at the
University of the West Indies. Forbes later began working for playwright
Barry Reckord, typing his scripts. She joined the new
Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) in 1959 as a radio announcer, and later won a scholarship to attend the
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in England. Forbes spent six years at RADA studying radio, television, and stage techniques, at the same time working as a writer for
BBC Caribbean and appearing in a number of television dramas – including
Z-Cars,
The Odd Man,
Public Eye and
Hugh and I. Her first appearance in professional theatre came in 1962, when she played in
Lloyd Reckord's
Busha Bluebeard. Forbes continued acting both during and after her time at the JBC. She appeared in many locally made plays and films, but also in overseas productions like
Milk and Honey,
The Orchid House,
Soul Survivor,
I Is A Long-Memoried Woman,
What My Mother Told Me,
Lord Have Mercy! and
A Winter Tale. In 1980, Forbes was made an Officer of the
Order of Distinction for her work. Forbes died in Jamaica on 25 October 2022, aged 85. ==References==