Kerala is the first sci-fi adventure thrisssur the kid who came from space gokulam gopalan
The Kid Who Came From Space on Stage | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
British writer Ross Welford’s 2022 science fiction adventure novel, The Kid Who Came from Space, explores the complex but essential themes of exclusion and coexistence through the eyes of children. Theater director Vishnu Prasad was drawn to the subtle and nuanced treatment of these ideas when he was looking for a text to adapt for a summer theater workshop organized by the Palakkad-based children’s theater group Navrang in May 2025.
As rehearsals progressed, the team recognized the visual possibilities of the story and decided to stage it on a large scale. Billed as Kerala’s first sci-fi adventure play, The Kid Who Came from Space deviates from conventional children’s theatre.
“We wanted to make it appeal to today’s generation using the visual language they know from comics and superhero movies,” says Vishnu. “Our goal is to create a production that will attract children who are used to short content.”
Produced by film producer Gokulam Gopalan, the play will be released at the Regional Theater in Thrissur on June 27 and 28. The production marks Gopalan’s theater debut after producing more than 30 films including L2: Empuraan and the upcoming Kathanar – The Wild Sorcerer.
Gokulam Gopalan with the cast of The Kid Who Came From Space | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“We approached him because we needed a producer to help us realize the scale of the project. After seeing a live performance in Palakkad, he agreed,” says Vishnu.
“There are very few sci-fi plays, let alone sci-fi adventures, in the history of children’s theater in Kerala,” says Vishnu, who co-wrote the production with Nayana RM. “The game has a cinematic visual grammar without compromising its dramatic core.” The production will also use videos projected on a custom-made screen.
The Tamil-Malayalam bilingual play is set in a village in Palakkad on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. Malu is kidnapped by aliens from a planet called Anthalla to be exhibited in a human zoo. While the rest of the village believes her dead, her twin brother Chandhu is convinced she is alive.
His suspicions are confirmed when he encounters Hellyann, a young alien from Anthalla, a planet where no one experiences emotions. However, unlike the others, Hellyann feels. Touched by Chandhu’s grief, he takes Chandhu, his friend Iggy and Iggy’s chicken Suzy to Anthalla to rescue Mala. What happens to this unlikely group and whether the twins return to Earth forms the heart of the game.
A scene from the game | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
An alumnus of the National School of Drama, Bengaluru, Vishnu says the production ultimately explores the idea of love.
“Do humans have to be related by blood or even belong to the same species to love each other? We ask this question through human-alien friendship.”
Hellyann in The Baby Who Came From Outer Space | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The twenty-seven-strong cast, ranging in age from six to 26, includes eight actors from the Tamil Nadu troupe Erode Naadaga Kottagai.
One of the twins speaks on stage in Malayalam and the other in Tamil. “We wanted to be inclusive and also convey that the differences between people on both sides of the state line are trivial.”
At its core, the game is a plea for coexistence.
“If an alien and a child can care so deeply for each other despite having nothing in common, why can’t we humans live together in peace?” says Vishnu. “If the audience walks away with that question, it will be a huge win for us.”
The Kid Who Came from Space will be presented by Regional Theatre: Thrissur on June 27 and 28 from 7 pm. Tickets are available from ₹299 on bookmyshow.com
Published – 22 Jun 2026 5:00 PM IST