It’s alive again,” says Athithya Jayachandran, referring to the absurd humour, the classic horror trope and the clever parody in the Mel Brooks style. The comedian’s 1974 horror science-fiction, Young Frankenstein, gets a new life with a fresh, contemporary twist. Bringing this comedic retelling to Chennaiites is Athithya with his directorial, ‘A Comedy Reimagined, Young Frankenstein’. He shares, “Staging Young Frankenstein has been a dream. It’s sort of my little love letter to a movie I grew up obsessed with.”
While the original continues to be a classic, Athithya’s version is for the stage and for a fast-paced generation that has grown up on technology, memes, and globalisation. “The goal was to bring the world around them to life in a way that deepens the comedy and tension without changing the core cast,” he adds.
Reimagined and recharged
The cast of this reimagined play includes Athithya as Dr Fredrick Frankenstein, who believes he is the only rational mind in a completely irrational Transylvanian world. He is surrounded by characters who are not operating on the same wavelength. “Each role needs a very specific kind of energy. I also wanted actors who could bring those shades to life,” mentions Athithya. The supporting characters, Arun Venugopal as Igor, is at the heart of Frederick’s inner conflict; Ashwathy Warrier as Inga comes into the doctor’s life as a vivacious lab assistant, and Kandan Muthukumar as The Monster is perhaps the most human of them all. But there is an unexpected twist.
True to the original, the story remains set in Transylvania, Europe. “We used technology, including AI, to bring our version of Transylvania to life. From dynamic lighting and sound design to clever set transitions, every element was crafted to immerse the audience in the eerie, absurd world I imagined. The stormy castle isn’t just a backdrop, it breathes, groans, rattles, and reacts like a character of its own,” he says.
According to Athithya, the biggest challenge was in managing the trade-off between homage and reinterpretation. “The original Young Frankenstein is a parody of a classic, so I had to be careful to ensure that my adaptation wasn’t a spoof of a spoof. I had to keep this in mind while updating the pace, dialogue, and cultural references so that it felt fresh without losing the original’s charm,” he notes.
The fans of this timeless marvel will spot the love letter hidden in every scene. “The physical gags, the familiar rhythms, the heart of the original’s humour. But they’ll also find a few surprises, especially in how we explore the theme of free will versus destiny. After all, what’s a Frankenstein story without a bit of tinkering?” comments Athithya.
The younger or new audiences who are new to Frankenstein’s world will walk away laughing but also realise that science, imagination, and a little chaos can coexist beautifully. “And maybe, just maybe, it’s okay to be an outlier, weird. Weird is wonderful,” he concludes.
‘A Comedy Reimagined, Young Frankenstein’ will be staged on April 12 at 3.30 pm and 7.30 pm at Alliance Francaise. To book tickets, visit: https://taplink.cc/sjyoungfrankenstein