Return to the Forbidden Planet is a musical by director Bob Carlton based on Shakespeare's The Tempest and the 1950s science fiction film Forbidden Planet (which itself drew its plot loosely from The Tempest). The musical first played in London's West End in 1990, winning the Olivier Award for best musical. In New York it was nominated for two Outer Critics Circle Awards .
The plot follows the crew of a routine survey flight under the command of Captain Tempest which is drawn mysteriously to the planet D'Illyria where mad scientist Doctor Prospero and his lovely daughter Miranda are marooned.
The high energy show features a bevy of 1950s and 1960s rock and roll classics, performed on stage by the cast. The campy sci-fi setting is constructed of silvered space suit costumes and space ship sets concealing keyboards and drums. The show's dialogue derives considerable humour from a peppering of Shakespearean quotations, allusions and puns.
The pre-recorded video narrator part was played in the original production by popular astronomer Sir Patrick Moore.
The show was revived for touring productions in the United Kingdom in 1999, 2001 and 2002.
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