What happens if you get abducted by aliens? Will you be carried off in a flying saucer? Will you be subjected to experiments? Or are the aliens friendly, curious, with a penchant for questions and answers?
As Chandu sets off on an adventure to reach his twin sister Malu, who has been strangely abducted and taken to an alien planet called Anthalla, with the help of his friends, the audience is, of course, waiting for the answer to these queries — like curious little aliens.
Chandu and friends are not alone; they have inside help. Friendly alien Hellyan is accompanying them on the rescue mission.
And on earth, we are spectators of something revolutionary — for an hour and a half filled with science and human emotion, we see a new chapter unfolding in children’s theatre.
Organised and rehearsed within the span of a month, the crew led by director Vishnu Prasad is capturing the audience with their sweet, whimsical reiteration of Ross Welford’s 2020 novel — The Kid Who Came From Space.
At a time when screens chain young minds, slowly diminishing their creativity and curiosity to explore the world, ‘The Kid Who Came From Space’ reintroduces hildren to a new world where space, aliens, and live theatre all converge.
“To bring a world filled with space and aliens convincingly in front of a live audience is a great challenge, especially since it had to be easily understood by children,” says Vishnu.
The play, he adds, is aimed at increasing children’s fascination with something beyond the screen, something that they can experience themselves, at a time when such motivations are growing stagnant.
The laughs and giggles from the audience are proof enough that this hard work is bearing fruit. Instead of making the audience sit through something passive, the actors interact with them, singing Christmas carols and throwing ribbons, making them feel as if they too are part of the story.
One of the most memorable parts of the production is definitely the visual storytelling, starting from the styling and makeup to the visuals and designs. The carefully created digital backdrops make the whole audience forget that they are not on the fictional planet Anthalla themselves.
“Our greatest win would be entertaining the children while also providing moral insights,” Vishnu says.
As it is a science fiction story, the crew faced several challenges. In cinema, it is easy to bring out space and aliens convincingly, Vishnu says.
“However, theatre requires another level of ingenuity. It was also harder because we had to convince the children. We didn’t have adults in mind the whole time we created this play. We mainly focused on making sure it is enjoyable and understandable for children. And we relied on lighting, props, costumes and visual effects to bring this alien world into Kerala’s stages in all its glory. We tried to bring in eerie backdrops that would interest the children and make them feel immersed in this extraterrestrial world,” he explains.
The aim was to create a play that would prompt children to think more deeply about the sentimentalities of being human and understand that emotions are our greatest strength.
If an alien from another planet can put herself in danger to help human children, love might just be the greatest force in the universe, unshaken by mortal rules.
And the play successfully portrays just that by presenting these morals without lecturing the audience, making them merely a part of the action.
The story is told through a mix of Malayalam and Tamil, blending them seamlessly. The twins Malu and Chandhu speak two different tongues. But this is never questioned, reinforcing the notion that language or any other seemingly different force does not determine love and bonds.
Above all, the true highlight of the show remains the performance by the stellar cast, each member embodying their character without restrictions of age and language. The main characters of Chandhu, Malu, Hellyann, Iggy and even the loyal chicken Suzy have been portrayed perfectly by all the actors.
“The play is like a journey that brought us closer and gave us memories to treasure forever,” says Niya Rose Sajeev, the actor behind Hellyann.
“My passion for theatre has grown so much while working on this play. What was merely a hobby has completely transformed my life. It is teaching me more about theatre, that it is more than what meets the surface,” says G Shrihari, who plays Iggy, Chandhu’s loyal friend.
S L Hemanathan, who portrays Chandhu, appreciates the audience’s response. “The power of their applause and their laughter pushes me to do better. By the end of the play, I always feel like the audience was my family,” he says.
The music and score also played a huge part in making the play feel more engaging, intriguing and joyful.
The play is being staged by Navarang Palakkad, and the large-scale sci-fi children’s production is being produced and backed by Gokulam Gopalan, marking his first theatre endeavour.
The larger vision behind this production remains improving accessibility of children’s theatre, Vishnu explains. The entire team is focused on bringing this play to schools and stages all across India, making live theatre feel less alien to the current youth.
The next arena to witness the new production of Navarang Palakkad is Kochi, as the play will be staged at Chavara Cultural Centre.
This story was reported by Niveditha Sreejith for TNIE - Kerala.