Return to the Forbidden Planet: History and Key Facts

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", 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.

Source and attribution

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