JOHN LAWSON On its fifth visit to the Theatre Royal this rock 'n' roll, outer space, outta sight take on Shakespeare's Tempest is living, breathing theatre – carrying its adoring fans on a g-force feast for ear and eye.

JOHN LAWSON

It's back – brighter, brasher, louder than ever. On its fifth visit to the Theatre Royal this rock 'n' roll, outer space, outta sight take on Shakespeare's Tempest is living, breathing theatre – carrying its adoring fans on a g-force feast for ear and eye.

Come and play “spot the quote” as the Bard's greatest lines are moulded and mangled, measure for measure, to take his great tragedy beyond the stars.

Play “spot the lyric” to see a string of great pop classics from the '50s, '60s and '70s are moulded into the story.

And play “spot the riff” as the multi-talented 12-strong cast add some of the best-known rock instrumental breaks into the remaining gaps in the wall of sound.

Each cast member has to be able to play at least four instruments before they even get an audition – and some of these guys are smart-alecs, showing equal virtuosity on guitar, keyboards, brass, woodwind, percussion and strings. It's hard to keep tabs on who is playing what as the story unfolds in a spaceship on an alien planet dreamed by Prospero on mind-expanding drugs.

In the 11 years since the show won an Olivier as best musical, it has toured almost non-stop right round the globe, and has been honed, developed and enhanced and now boasts back projection, surround sound and even Patrick Moore (on video). So get off this planet – for the first time or the fifth – and have a ball.