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
Characters
Showing 8 of 9 characters
Character Portrayals
See StageAgent members who have performed roles in Return to the Forbidden Planet.
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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.
Key Terms
An adaptation is a reworking of a story from one medium or cultural context into another, such as turning a novel into a play or updating a classic play’s setting. Adaptations often reinterpret themes, characters, and style for new audiences. They can range from faithful recreations to bold reimaginings.
Spoken interaction between characters in a play, used to reveal relationships, advance plot, and convey emotion.
A poetic meter consisting of five iambs per line, widely used in English Renaissance drama by playwrights like Shakespeare.
A jukebox musical is a type of musical where the score is made up of pre-existing, well-known popular songs instead of original music.
Rock and roll is a musical genre that originated in the United States in the 1950s, combining rhythm and blues with country and gospel influences. Characterized by strong beats, electric guitars, and youthful energy, it quickly became a symbol of rebellion and change. In theatre, rock and roll often represents social upheaval, generational conflict, and the rise of new cultural voices.
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Guide Written By:
Alexandra Appleton
Writer, editor and theatre researcher