How did the creation of Return to the Forbidden Planet come about?
I was running an ensemble of actor/musicians who performed a lot of Shakespeare. After the show we would do a late night concert and, one year for a bit of fun, I decided to link the songs to a story. The story I chose was Macbeth and the show became From a Jack to a King. The success of this show led me to experiment the following year with The Tempest which developed into Return to the Forbidden Planet; and the rest is geography. Q8. Why do you think Shakespeare’s work is so adaptable to different interpretations and settings? The themes of Shakespeare are very big and relevant to any age. I believe this is why his plays have really stood the test of time and continue to be so heavily produced. Q9. Why don’t you set Shakespeare in period? I don’t set Shakespeare in period because he didn’t. Shakespeare set everything in contemporary costume whether he was writing about ancient Rome or medieval Scotland. Q10. The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s most magical plays. How have you reflect
