Review by Paul Towers, 2/4/24
Life of Pi adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti from the novel by Yann Martel
Directed by Max Webster
Produced by Sheffield Theatres
At Royal & Derngate, Northampton 2-6 April 2024
Yann Martel’s 2001 Life of Pi was a critical success and lead to an award laden film 10 years later. After another 9 years an equally acclaimed stage version was adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti and created by The Crucible Theatre Sheffield. It has garnered even more awards.
Currently out on tour I was pleased to catch up with it at Northampton’s Royal & Derngate Theatre.
Life of Pi is the story of a 16 year old Indian boy whose family are forced to emigrate to Canada to escape the turmoil in their home country. Packing up their home and crating up the animals of their zoo the family board a boat for the long sea journey to a new life.
Unfortunately there is a storm and all hands are lost except Pi (Divesh Subaskaran in his professional debut), a Bengal Tiger, a hyena and an injured zebra. This odd collection ends up on a drifting lifeboat where they all try and work out how to survive.
After he is finally rescued Pi relates his story to an Insurance Assessor who doesn’t believe him.
At first glance you would think that a story almost entirely set aboard a small boat adrift on the ocean and containing a boy and several wild animals would be unstageable. But with extensive use of very clever puppets for the animals (designed by Caroline Bowman), an imaginative set (designed by Tim Hatley) and superb lighting by Tim Lutkin & Tim Deiling the adventure comes to life before your eyes.
At Royal & Derngate until Saturday 6th April and on tour.
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