Wednesday, 10th January 2024 at Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House.
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The stage adaptation of Life of Pi is a stunning piece of theatre, a spectacle-driven piece which is as visually rich as it is emotionally compelling. Much like watching War Horse or The Lion King, this show is a glowing example of why puppetry can be such a gift to a production, and it’s little wonder that this show snagged no less than five Olivier awards – and made history when a team of puppeteers were rightfully recognised as Best Supporting Actors.
For those unfamiliar with the novel, Pi’s family – Amma (Bhawna Bhawsar), father (Ralph Birtwell) and brother Ravi (Vinesh Veerasami) – are shipwrecked while attempting to leave an unstable situation in India for greater security in Canada. Young Pi (Divest Subaskaran) is left fending for himself aboard a life boat – with a Bengal tiger equally intent on survival.
Lolita Chakrabarti adapts Yann Martel’s gripping (and Booker Prize-winning) novel as a neat frame-tale in which Pi is under hospital care with support from kindly professionals (Keshini Misha, Chand Martinez) while being interrogated about his bizarre story of survival by a corporate type chasing the bottom line (Lilian Tsang). He assures his listeners that his miraculous tale of 227 days at sea is truth, and we are whisked back in time to see his story play out.
Director Max Webster moves between a typically mischievous childhood and the peril of the open sea with impressive fluency. It’s a warm vision of family to begin, despite a fractious political backdrop: the brothers get up to no good; the youngest tries his luck at having his cake and eating it too; the parents fuss over logistics, and they all come together for big life lessons. When this bubble is burst, there’s a palpable sense of loss despite the relatively brief glimpse of Pi’s happier days.
And Divest Subaskaran is thoroughly superb as Pi. Troubled, yes. Shy, yes. But also plucky and playful and endearingly earnest in his youthful assertiveness. Subaskaran gives Pi a sweet nature and explores his fascination with differing religions with endearing sincerity. But he also masters the difficult task of interacting with life-size puppets with thrilling credibility.
And puppet designers Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell (who is also puppetry and movement director) bring real magic to this staging. Not only are the puppets – an array of animals from land and sea – pleasing on the eye, but they harbour small surprises which offer real drama in more brutal moments. To inspire dismay and thrill and disgust from audiences watching inanimate objects given life and character by phenomenal teams – Fred Davis, Kate Rowsell and Peter Twose for the tiger; Sebastian Goffin, Akash Heer, Romina Hytten, Aizah Khan for an array of other animals – is possibly the most extraordinary element of the show.
The team operating Richard Parker, the tiger, are a polished and seamless dream team. They give life and fluidity to their character so credibly that their performance blinds an audience to their very presence on stage – and that’s the magic of beautifully directed puppetry. Yet for all the beauty and stunning visuals on stage, the puppets don’t make this story any more of a sweet, cuddly tale: there’s a dark core which is served well, and the puppets have a key role in delivering the darker elements of Pi’s tale.
For a story so challenging to stage, considering settings at sea and the swathe of animal characters, this production excels in its stage designs. Tim Hatley’s set smoothly conjures spaces which shift in the blink of an eye – there is no permanence and that not only keeps pace but is very fitting for the tale. Andrzej Goulding’s video designs give that crucial credibility to the more treacherous moments at sea, with composer Andrew T. Mackay heightening high-stakes moments with intense underscoring. Time Lutkin and Tim Deiling’s lighting provides further drama but also moments of suspended time and place along Pi’s extraordinary journey.
Moving and thrilling and endearingly comic by turn, Life of Pi is a show full of spectacle and mastery, delivering an unforgettable journey for audiences- see it if you can.
The Life of Pi is at Leeds Grand Theatre until January 13th 2024 – more information and tickets can be found here.
Always Time For Theatre 