Life of Pi, UK Tour Review

`Life of Pi production image. Photo by Johan Persson`

Written by Emmie for Theatre & Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.

Triumphantly leaping from the pages of Yann Martel’s award-winning novel is Lolita Chakrabarti's stage adaptation of The Life Of Pi. The play first premiered back in June 2019 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield ahead of its award-winning run at the Wyndham’s Theatre, as well as just recently a run on Broadway and a National Theatre cinema release. What is it about this production that gives it the biggest appealing? We found out during our visit to see the new UK tour.

This play immerses audiences in a mesmerising tale of survival, spirituality, and the power of imagination. Set against the backdrop of a shipwreck, the protagonist, Pi, finds himself stranded on a lifeboat in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean with only a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker for company. As Pi navigates the challenges of the open sea over 227 days, he grapples with his inner demons and discovers profound truths about death, rebirth, religion, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Through breathtaking visuals, evocative storytelling, and stunning performances, The Life of Pi is the gateway to escapism that we dream of as theatregoers. Although don’t be put off, there is a lot of humour injected in this show too which allows time for audiences to pause before diving into the deeper themes.

Life Of Pi contains so many striking aspects which gives it the award-winning reputation that it possesses. From its ingenious staging and set design that is complex and evolves rapidly through the storyline, projection that helps keep the story flow, the breathtaking puppetry that breathes life into the animals on the stage, and then there’s the sound design that wraps all of this up perfectly. Carolyn Downing’s sound design gives the play this resulting cinematic atmosphere that we haven’t seen in other productions before. There is also an impressive display of how the creative team blends the past and present together over the course of Pi’s story too that is well worth appreciating.

Divesh Subaskatan is a talented performer who has excelled in his professional debut on this tour as Pi Patel. Subaskatan confidently portrays the philosophical and spiritual aura that Pi has whilst also embodying the vulnerability of the protagonist too. In the play Pi describes himself as an irrational number that is difficult to describe and the characters as well as the play as a whole is hard to put into words and describe to you the reader.

Read More: Interview with Divesh Subaskaran, Life of Pi

The standout is obviously the people who bring Richard Parker to life. Containing a team of Antony Antunes, Sebastian Goffin, Akash Heer, Romania Hytten, Katie Kennedy-Rose, Aizah Khan, Kate Rowsell, Tom Stacy and Peter Twose have the responsibility of sustaining the Bengal tiger’s physical portrayal and the emotional depth of how his influence impacts the flow of the storyline. Collaboratively, they ensure that Richard Parker becomes a central and memorable aspect of the production.

This show is an astounding story of courage and endurance which thoroughly deserved a standing ovation. With all of the added aspects of theatre magic, Life of Pi executes one of the most impactful stage adaptations from a book that audiences can experience. It’s magic in every sense of the word!