Kerala’s first sci-fi adventure play ‘The Kid Who Came from Space’ heads to Thrissur

British writer Ross Welford’s 2022 sci-fi novel The Kid Who Came from Space is being adapted for stage in what’s being called Kerala’s first sci-fi adventure play for children. The production will be staged at the Regional Theatre in Thrissur on June 27 and 28.

Theatre director Vishnu Prasad picked Welford’s novel while searching for material for Navrang, a Palakkad-based children’s theatre group, for a summer workshop in May 2025. The book explores complex yet essential themes of exclusion and coexistence through the eyes of children, and Prasad was drawn to its gentle and nuanced treatment of those ideas.

As rehearsals progressed, the team recognized the story’s visual possibilities and decided to stage it on a grand scale. Touted as Kerala’s first sci-fi adventure play, the production departs from conventional children’s theatre.

“We wanted to make it appealing to today’s generation by using a visual language they recognise from comics and superhero films,” Vishnu said. “Our aim is to create a production that draws in children who are used to short-form content”. The play has a “cinematic visual grammar without compromising its dramatic core” and will also use videos projected on a custom-designed screen.

Vishnu co-wrote the production with Nayana RM. He noted there are very few science-fiction plays in Kerala’s children’s theatre history, let alone sci-fi adventures.

The production is backed by film producer Gokulam Gopalan, marking his debut in theatre after producing more than 30 films including L2: Empuraan and the upcoming Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer. “We approached him because we needed a producer who could help realise the project’s scale. He agreed after watching a live performance in Palakkad,” Vishnu said.

The Thrissur staging brings sci-fi, aliens, and speculative themes to Kerala’s children’s stage while keeping the focus on belonging and acceptance.