A World Elsewhere, a new family co-production by Shakespeare’s Globe and Splendid Productions, follows 12-year-old Cass as his increasingly elaborate imaginary world becomes entangled with his anxiety and self-doubt. The review finds the production especially effective at drawing children and parents into its energetic, participatory play, using imaginative staging to make Cass’s fears feel vivid and immediate.

Cass’s imagined companions include the pompous Shakespearean actor Sarah, the spirited Cobweb from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and a television hero called Big Guy, with Kyle Ndukuba playing Cass. Directed by Lucy Cuthbertson, the show features sailing, monsters, trap doors, smoke and shadow puppetry, though its second half becomes overly meta-theatrical and confusing for younger viewers. It ultimately recovers through audience-led magic, singing and tickling, restoring the production’s playful momentum.