Theatre dog Danny Boyle

Jan 22, 2010, 10:22 GMT

Oscar winner Danny Boyle is returning to the theatre to direct 'Frankenstein'.

The 'Slumdog Millionaire' filmmaker feels he has been "distracted" by films and is thrilled to be returning to the National Theatre in London, for an adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel, about a scientist who tries to build a human but creates a monster.

He said: "I am coming back to theatre after being distracted for 15 years by the movies."

According to the theatre's artistic director Sir Nicholas Hytner, Danny first revealed his ideas to adapt the famous story into a stage show when the theatre was started eight years ago.

Nicholas said: "He has a very particular take... and he described to me in detail how he would make a theatrical event out of it. He wants to make a large-scale and visually ambitious event for our main stage."

Danny also suggested the theatre executive hire writer Nick Dear to adapt the novel and include his big ideas. Nicholas has revealed the storyline had been adapted around "a central idea of Danny's".

After the success of 'Slumdog Millionaire' - which won eight Oscars, including the prestigious Best Director prize - the filmmaker felt it was the right time to bring his "big visual imagination" back to the stage.

Nicholas added: "As a movie director he's as happy carrying his camera around the slums of Mumbai as working on a vast set for a film like Sunshine. He has a big visual imagination."

Danny - whose work also includes 'Shallow Grave', 'Trainspotting' and 'The Beach' - was an artistic theatre director in London between 1982 and 1985, before becoming deputy director of the main Royal Court Theatre until 1987.

His stage adaptation of 'Frankenstein' will open next winter at the Olivier Theatre.