A World Elsewhere at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse Review
Kerry Frampton (Sarah), Zachary Willis (Big Guy), Tanvi Virmani (Cobweb) and Kyle Ndukuba (Cass). Photo: Manuel Harlan.
"There is a world elsewhere." The title comes from one of the most memorable lines in Shakespeare's Coriolanus, and the new production A World Elsewhere, currently playing at Shakespeare's Globe's Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, is deeply rooted in Shakespearean tradition. Following Rough Magic and Midsummer Mechanicals, the Globe has once again collaborated with Splendid Productions on a new family show written by Kerry Frampton and Ben Hales, making it the latest addition to the Globe's family theatre series. It is easy to see why the production has proved such a hit with younger audiences.
Twelve-year-old Cass, played by Kyle Ndukuba, possesses an endlessly vivid imagination. Inside his mind, he spends his time creating and performing stories with his three imaginary companions. They are Sarah, played by Kerry Frampton, a classically trained Shakespearean actor whose devotion to Shakespeare echoes Cass's grandmother, Cobweb from A Midsummer Night's Dream, played by Tanvi Virmani, and Big Guy, played by Zachary Willis. One day, however, Cass arrives unusually late, clutching a letter that he has been reluctant to reveal. He has decided to bring this imaginary world to an end and never return. But the moment he shares his decision, Sarah and Big Guy are seized by a mysterious monster. Determined to rescue his friends, Cass follows Cobweb and sets off on a perilous journey through the Shadowlands.
In A World Elsewhere, the fourth wall scarcely exists, even before the performance officially begins. The audience becomes part of Cass's imagination from the very start. As the adventure unfolds, spectators are transformed into trees, crashing waves and even witches, climbing towers and swimming alongside the characters. After that, clapping along to the infectious song Something's Gonna Happen feels completely natural. All four performers display remarkable improvisational skill and an instinctive ability to engage the audience. Their warmth, boundless energy and effortless chemistry make the production consistently captivating. Although I can hardly remember another time when I dreaded being singled out for audience participation quite so much, I still found myself smiling alongside both the cast and the rest of the audience.
That said, the production leaves considerable room for further exploration. The opening sequence, in which the three imaginary companions pass the time waiting for Cass to arrive, feels somewhat repetitive and overstretched. The audience is also left waiting, as though nothing can truly happen until Cass appears. Yet these imaginary companions have far greater dramatic potential than the production ultimately allows them. Once the audience has entered Cass's mind, every element of this imagined world could become a reflection of his inner self. In fact, one of the production's most compelling moments comes when Sarah briefly reveals traces of Cass's grandmother. It is a fascinating idea, but one that disappears almost as soon as it is introduced and is never explored in greater depth.
The same applies to the inhabitants of the Shadowlands. These figures should carry meaning beyond their immediate theatrical function. The Shakespearean characters who appear here have all been radically reimagined, with stories that diverge sharply from their original plays. This also creates an opportunity to connect them to Cass's subconscious and emotional landscape as well, allowing the audience to piece together his emotional world by revealing what he might have experienced, why he created this imagined realm in the first place, and why he ultimately wants to leave it behind. At present, however, characters drawn from Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream and other Shakespearean works do not feel fully integrated into the world of the play. Stronger connections between these figures and Cass himself would make their presence feel more organic and significantly reduce the sense of disjunction.
Rose Revitt's set and prop design is particularly inventive. The blue walls are covered with children's drawings intertwined with lengths of rope. Paper stars hang from both the walls and the ceiling, while toy swords and rhythmic gymnastics ribbons are placed around the back of the stage. Together they create the impression of a child's bedroom enlarged to theatrical scale. Whenever Cass declares his wish to shut down his imagination, flashes of lightning are accompanied by strips of black fabric descending from above, partially obscuring the bright colours that define his world.
A World Elsewhere has the potential to become an even richer and more sophisticated piece if it embraces the opportunity to use its imagined world as a means of expressing Cass's complex psychology and subconscious. Even in its current form, however, it is an imaginative production filled with heart and infectious enthusiasm. It encourages children to explore boldly, to remain curious and fearless, while gently reminding adults that the child within them is never entirely gone.
A World Elsewhere runs at Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Shakespeare’s Globe until 30th August 2026.
★ ★ ★ ★
Reviewed by Ziwen, July 2026. Disclaimer: Tickets were gifted in return for a review. All opinions are our own.