Frankenstein farce given life in the West End
Hollywood funnyman Mel Brooks is ‘reimagi ning’ the stage musical version of his much- l oved movie young Frankenstein and bringing it to the west End for the first time.
The movie director and writer told me he’s on the hunt for a london theatre for the show he will co- direct with f requent collaborator Susan Stroman. They were partners on The Producers musical.
Stroman staged and choreographed young Frankenstein on Broadway in 2007.
written by Brooks and Tom Meehan, the show is loosely based on Mary Shelley’s novel — though this time it’s old Baron Frankenstein’s grandson, an American professor of neurology, who visits the family castle in Transylvania.
The musical was played as a farce, parodying those black-andwhite horror movies from the Thirties, with big s plashy numbers. But it occupied a barn of a theatre, which Brooks now admits was too big, and it was not well received.
The New york Times review was headlined: ‘who put the trance in Transylvania?’
‘I really didn’t do it the kind of justice I should have when I did it on Broadway about eight years ago,’ Brooks told me from los Angeles. ‘It was a little too big, and a little too much of a musical comedy, instead of the crazy, black-and-white, intense wacky comedy that I created for Gene wilder and Madeline Kahn.’
The 1974 film also featured British comic Marty Feldman.
For the new version, Stroman will take charge of the production numbers, while Brooks concentrates on the comedy and acting.
on Broadway, the creature had just one number, a big song-anddance spectacle featuring Irving Berlin’s Puttin’ on the Ritz — the only song in the show not penned by Brooks. But he revealed that he has written a second-act number for the creature. ‘He’s a very good singer, the monster,’ Brooks observed.
our conversation was punctuated by several comical attempts by him to pronounce my surname. I wasn’t at all fussed — my big brother over in Nashville insists I have never pronounced it correctly myself. So there you go.
Anyway, Brooks is eager to pack the cast with UK talent. ‘If I could get close to the Gene wilders, the Madeline Kahns, the Peter Boyles [the original monster] and the Marty Feldmans of the movie I’d be happy.
‘In any case, london is chock full of out-of-work, brilliant actors. we’ll give some of them a job and they’ll be exceedingly happy — and so will the audience.’
Brooks vowed to offer some cheap seats ( he suggested between £25 and £35) for young people. when I pointed out that for many even those prices would be out of reach, he said he’d work with whatever theatre owner books young Frankenstein to ensure that the front row is kept to £15 only.
He stated that, subject to theatre availability, he’s aiming for a winter or spring opening.
Brooks wants a house the size of the Prince of wales Theatre, which won’t be available. But at least two others will be — although there are other shows already in the queue.