| Return to the Forbidden Planet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Music | Various Artists |
| Lyrics | Various Artists |
| Book | Bob Carlton |
| Basis | The Tempest by William Shakespeare 1956 film Forbidden Planet written by: Cyril Hume, Irving Block and Allen Adler |
| Productions | 1983 London 1989 West End 1991 Off-Broadway 2000/01 The English Theatre Frankfurt 2009 St. Louis, MO |
| Awards | Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical 1989 & 1990 |
Return to the Forbidden Planet is a jukebox musical by Bob Carlton based on the 1956 science fiction film Forbidden Planet, which, in turn, is loosely based on Shakespeare's play The Tempest. The show features a score of 1950s and 1960s rock and roll classics and dialogue largely adapted from well-known passages from Shakespeare.
Often billed as "Shakespeare's forgotten rock and roll masterpiece",[1] Return to the Forbidden Planet has been performed all over the world since its premiere in London in the 1980s. It won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical for both 1989 and 1990.
Conceived for a cast of actor-musicians, the space ship sets conceals keyboards and drums. The campy sci-fi setting consists of silvered space suits and the robot, Ariel, is performed by an actor on roller skates, with a costume reminiscent of the original movie's Robby the Robot. There is a part for narrator (known as "the newsreader") on pre-recorded video, who has been performed by celebrities including Patrick Moore, Brian May, Richard O'Brien and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
- ^ "Return To The Forbidden Planet | The List". www.list.co.uk. Retrieved 9 March 2021.