Overview
Synopsis
Fasten your seatbelts, return your tray tables to the upright position and prepare to blast off! In this Olivier-award-winning musical, the many works of Shakespeare are aligned with a fabulous rock ‘n’ roll score to create a fun-filled, jiving-in-the-aisles musical. Loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest and the 1956 sci-fi classic film Forbidden Planet, Return to the Forbidden Planet finds a spaceship, helmed by Captain Tempest, making an emergency landing on the uncharted planet D’Illyria. The only residents there are the mad scientist Doctor Prospero, his daughter Miranda, and their robot Ariel. They were banished into hyperspace when Miranda was just a baby, and she has known no other world than this. Featuring rock ‘n’roll hits of the 50s and 60s (“Great Balls of Fire”, “The Monster Mash”, “Good Vibrations”, and others), a B-movie atmosphere, and dialogue in iambic pentameter, Return to the Forbidden Planet is Shakespeare’s unwritten rock ‘n’ roll masterpiece. Throw in a roller-skating robot, unrequited love, and a scary space monster, and you’ve got one groovy show!
Show Information
- Book
- Bob Carlton
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- The Tempest [play], Forbidden Planet [1956 film]
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1989
- Genres
- Comedy, Fairy Tale/Fantasy
- Settings
- Fantasy/Imaginary, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- space, the future
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Rock Combo
- Dancing
- Musical Staging
- Licensor
- Concord Theatricals
- Ideal For
- College/University, Community Theatre, High School, Regional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Late Teen, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Supporting |
Either Gender |
Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Act One
*Wipe Out - Navigation Officer
It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World - Captain Tempest, Gloria,
*Great Balls of Fire - Ensemble
Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood - Prospero, Ensemble
*Good Vibrations - Captain Tempest, Ariel, Miranda, Ensemble
*Yeh, Yeh - Cookie, Bosun
Ain’t Gonna Wash for a Week - Cookie, Ensemble
I’m Gonna Change the World - Captain Tempest, Ariel, Prospero
Teenager in Love - Miranda, Ensemble
Young Girl - Captain Tempest, Ensemble
*She’s Not There - Cookie
*Shaking All Over - Prospero, Miranda, Captain Tempest
Gloria - Gloria, Navigation Officer, Ensemble
Act Two
*5-4-3-2-1- / Gloria - Gloria, Navigation Officer, Ensemble
Who’s Sorry Now - Ariel, Ensemble
Tell Her / Gimme Some Lovin’ - Gloria, Bosun, Cookie, Navigation Officer, Captain Tempest, Ensemble
War Paint - Captain Tempest, Ariel
*Robot Man - Miranda, Ensemble
*Shake, Rattle and Roll - Ariel, Cookie, Ensemble
Go Now - Gloria, Ensemble
Only the Lonely - Cookie, Ensemble
*The Young Ones - Miranda, Captain Tempest, Ensemble
Born to Be Wild - Captain Tempest, Cookie
*Mr. Spaceman - Miranda, Ensemble
*I Can’t Turn You Loose / Monster Mash - Prospero, Ensemble
*Great Balls of Fire - Cookie
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
A play, musical, or opera that has been adapted from a written work.
The words spoken by characters in a play.
A type of verse with ten syllables per line and syllables alternating between unstressed and stressed beats.
A musical that features hit songs of a popular music group or genre.
A type of popular dance music originating in the 1950s, characterized by a heavy beat and simple melodies.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher