Young Frankenstein

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Young Frankenstein: A West End Monster Mash

"Young Frankenstein," billed as *The New Mel Brooks Musical: Young Frankenstein*, is a riotous musical comedy that electrified London’s West End at the Garrick Theatre, opening on October 10, 2017, after previews from September 28, and running until August 25, 2018, for 406 performances. With a book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, and music and lyrics by Brooks, it adapts the 1974 cult film Brooks co-wrote with Gene Wilder a parody of classic horror flicks like the 1931 *Frankenstein*. After a mixed Broadway reception in 2007, this revised version, directed by Susan Stroman, found its footing in London, delivering slapstick, catchy tunes like “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” and a monstrous dose of fun, earning critical praise and a loyal following.

Origins and Evolution

The musical traces its roots to Brooks’ 1974 film, a love letter to horror tropes that Wilder starred in and co-authored. After *The Producers* smashed Broadway records in 2001, Brooks reteamed with Meehan and Stroman for *Young Frankenstein*, debuting in Seattle in 2007 before hitting Broadway’s Hilton Theatre on November 8, 2007, for 484 performances. Critics found it overstuffed, prompting a leaner overhaul for London. Post a 2009 U.S. tour, Brooks and Stroman retooled the script and score cutting songs like “Join the Family Business,” adding “He’s Loose” and “Man About Town” for its UK premiere at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal in August 2017, setting the stage for a tighter, funnier West End run.

The Cast and Creative Team

The West End cast dazzled, led by Hadley Fraser as Frederick Frankenstein, channeling Wilder’s manic charm, with Lesley Joseph as the stern Frau Blücher whose name alone sent audiences neighing. Ross Noble’s Igor brought anarchic glee, Dianne Pilkington sparkled as Elizabeth, and Summer Strallen charmed as Inga, with Patrick Clancy as The Monster and Nic Greenshields as Kemp/Hermit. Stroman’s direction and choreography injected vaudeville pizzazz, backed by Beowulf Boritt’s gothic sets, William Ivey Long’s costumes, and Ben Cracknell’s lighting. Brooks’ score, supervised by Glen Kelly, blended parody with showstoppers, making it a theatrical Frankenstein’s monster stitched together with wild brilliance.

West End Reception and Highlights

London critics embraced the revamp, with *The Guardian* giving four stars for its “gleeful reanimation” and *The Daily Telegraph* lauding Stroman’s “wit and invention.” Where Broadway saw excess, the West End found balance, trimming the fat to spotlight gags and songs like the tap-dancing extravaganza “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” Opening night saw Brooks, then 91, beaming as fans roared at familiar film beats Frau Blücher’s horse-whinny trigger, the Hermit’s soup spill. Running 406 performances, it outdid its Broadway stamina in spirit, snagging a WhatsOnStage nomination for Best New Musical and proving Brooks’ comedy could still jolt audiences alive.

Global Reach and Adaptations

Post-West End, *Young Frankenstein* toured the U.S. again in 2011, hit La Mirada, California, in 2022 with Sally Struthers as Blücher, and played Brazil in 2023–2024. The 2017 London cast recording, released digitally in 2021, captured its live zest, while the Broadway album with Roger Bart and Sutton Foster remains a fan staple. Licensed by Music Theatre International, the West End version slimmer than Broadway’s thrives in regional and amateur productions worldwide. A planned 2018 Broadway return never materialized, but its global footprint, from Newcastle to São Paulo, keeps the monster stomping.

Legacy and Lasting Laughs

"Young Frankenstein" stands as Brooks’ second musical triumph, less sublime than *The Producers* but a testament to his boundary-pushing humor. Its West End success 406 shows versus Broadway’s mixed 484 owes much to Stroman’s streamlined staging and a cast that nailed its absurdity. Beyond laughs, it muses on legacy and humanity, with Frederick’s journey from denial to mad scientist mirroring Brooks’ own persistence. As of 2025, it’s a cult favorite, its “Transylvania Mania” and risqué gags echoing in theatre lore a monstrously good time that proves comedy, like the Creature, can live forever.