# Bob Carlton > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bob_Carlton > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Bob_Carlton.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Carlton > Source revision: 1301677024 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|English theatre director and writer (1950–2018)}} {{distinguish|Bob Carleton}} {{Use British English|date=July 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}} '''Bob Carlton''' (23 June 1950 – 18 January 2018) was an English theatre director and writer. He is best known for creating and directing the [jukebox musical](/source/jukebox_musical) ''[Return to the Forbidden Planet](/source/Return_to_the_Forbidden_Planet)'', which won the [Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical](/source/Laurence_Olivier_Award_for_Best_New_Musical) in both 1989 and 1990 and has been produced in many different countries around the world. Carlton's hit musical combined [rock'n'roll](/source/rock'n'roll) songs with some dialogue found in the works of [William Shakespeare](/source/William_Shakespeare) – primarily ''[The Tempest](/source/The_Tempest)'' – plus original action and dialogue adapting the plot and characters from ''[Forbidden Planet](/source/Forbidden_Planet),'' the 1956 [science fiction](/source/science_fiction) film that play inspired. He also employed parts of this formula in 1984 with ''[https://www.thestage.co.uk/features/bob-carlton-director-and-writer From A Jack To A King],'' a similar jukebox musical adaptation of ''[Macbeth](/source/Macbeth)'' with dialogue written in [iambic pentameter](/source/iambic_pentameter). Carlton wrote several other plays and directed episodes of the [television](/source/television) [soap opera](/source/soap_opera)s ''[Brookside](/source/Brookside_(television_programme))'' and ''[Emmerdale Farm](/source/Emmerdale_Farm)'' and the children's series ''Streetwise''.{{cite web|url=http://www.queens-theatre.co.uk/biographies/bobcarlton.htm|title=bob carlton, artistic director|work=Queen's Theatre website, biographies|publisher=[Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch](/source/Queen's_Theatre%2C_Hornchurch)|access-date=19 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070904065748/http://www.queens-theatre.co.uk/biographies/bobcarlton.htm|archive-date=4 September 2007}} He was born in [Coventry](/source/Coventry) and attended [King Henry VIII School](/source/King_Henry_VIII_School%2C_Coventry),{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/OldCoventrians/photos/a.2278741128818202/2278744972151151/ |title=Bob Carlton |website=King Henry VIII School, Old Coventrians (alumni page)}} read drama at the [University of Hull](/source/University_of_Hull) and, after graduation, won an Arts Council Trainee Director's Bursary to the [Belgrade Theatre](/source/Belgrade_Theatre) in his hometown of Coventry. He was later associate director at the [Dukes Playhouse](/source/The_Dukes_(Lancaster)), Lancaster and [York Theatre Royal](/source/York_Theatre_Royal) before becoming artistic director of the [London Bubble Theatre Company](/source/London_Bubble_Theatre_Company), a post he held from 1979 until 1983. It was during this time that he created and first staged ''Return to the Forbidden Planet''.[http://www.londonbubble.org.uk/explore_stuff/archive/archive_of_shows_since_1972 Archive of London Bubble Directors and Shows since 1972] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091018084825/http://www.londonbubble.org.uk/explore_stuff/archive/archive_of_shows_since_1972 |date=18 October 2009 }} From 1997 to 2014 he was the artistic director of the [Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch](/source/Queen's_Theatre%2C_Hornchurch). On 17 September 2014, it was announced that he was stepping down from the position to focus on his writing.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hornchurchlife.co.uk/arts/theatre/queens-theatre/artistic-director-of-queens-theatre-hornchurch-steps-down/|title=Artistic Director of Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch, steps down|website=hornchurchlife.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-01-18|archive-date=7 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707060214/http://www.hornchurchlife.co.uk/arts/theatre/queens-theatre/artistic-director-of-queens-theatre-hornchurch-steps-down/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/queens-theatre-artistic-director-bob-carlton-stepping-down-after-17-years|title=Queen's Theatre artistic director Bob Carlton stepping down after 17 years|date=2014-09-19|work=The Stage|access-date=2018-01-18|language=en-US}} It was announced on 19 January 2018 that he had died from cancer the previous day.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hornchurchlife.co.uk/arts/theatre/queens-theatre/rip-bob-carlton-artist-director-at-the-queens-theatre-for-17-years/|title=RIP Bob Carlton – artist director at The Queen's Theatre for 17 years|website=hornchurchlife.co.uk|language=en-GB|access-date=2018-01-19}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/news/bob-carlton-the-former-artistic-director-of-queen-s-theatre-has-died-1-5362184|title=Former artistic director of Queen's Theatre Bob Carlton has died|last=Roach|first=April|work=Romford Recorder|access-date=2018-01-19|language=en}} ==References== ==External links== * [http://www.filmreference.com/film/46/Bob-Carlton.html www.filmreference.com biography] * {{IMDb name|id=0138175|name=Bob Carlton}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Carlton, Bob}} Category:1950 births Category:2018 deaths Category:English theatre directors Category:People educated at King Henry VIII School, Coventry Category:Artists from Coventry {{Theat-bio-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bob Carlton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Carlton) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Carlton?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.