It's the Bard meets Bono and is the hottest musical in Burbank California this month. A US theatre company has mixed U2 and Shakespeare to create hit musical As U2 Like It.

Matt Walker, the show's creator, said: "Even though Shakespeare and U2 are nearly 400 years apart, there's such a similarity in the language they use. They share common themes too which include love and loss, heartbreak and politics."

Two hours long and including 14 U2 tracks, the musical opens like one of U2's monster stadium shows.

"We use 'Vertigo' as our opening number. It's an acclamation to the theatre, a set-up of what the play is about. The lyrics going, 'Now let's unfold the plot, two brothers who are friends but now are not.'"

The highlight of act two is when characters Olivier and Celia profess their undying love for one another singing 'With Or Without You'.

"That's when we found out that quite a few of the U2 songs sound the same," said Walker. "We came up with the idea of a medley of U2 songs... and found we could sing them over the tune of 'With Or Without You'. But when you put all these songs together, they're so fantastic, it's a showstopper every night."

Fiddling with U2 songs can be a legal minefield but Walker says it's possible in the US. "The first amendment allows for free speech and because we gently parody the material we use, we claim fair use."

As U2 Like It is attracting rave reviews from critics and fans and Walker now wants to bring his show to Dublin.

"I think we'd be a big hit in Dublin. The heart and soul of our production is the last number when all four couples marry while singing lines from 'One'. It's a big happy ending and we put a bow on it by wrapping it up by singing 'Beautiful Day'.

"Would that work in Dublin? Of course it would. It would work anywhere."