![](https://www.sardinesmagazine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Hiran-Abeysekera-Pi-in-LifeOfPi2021-by-Johan-Persson-2.jpg)
Show: The Life of Pi
Society: London (professional shows)
Venue: Wyndham's Theatre. Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DA
Credits: Based on the novel by Yann Martel. Adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti
Type: Sardines
Performance Date: 11/02/2022
The Life of Pi
Photo: Johan Persson
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
It’s difficult to know whether this remarkable production is about a man and a tiger or about the possible existance of God… or at least faith in a God. Such religious opinions – including the absence of belief (atheism) – are made apparent several times throughout the evening at important points. But more later.
This wonderfully performed and written West End show was initially offered our way with a ‘family’ tag attached to it. Hence, I turned up to the review with both Mrs and Mini Sardines (“We are happy to offer a maximum of four tickets for a family prior to the 2022 Half Term holiday”). The animal-loving Mini Sardines burst into tears throughout the entire first half and even asked to ‘go home’ at one point, despite being some years ahead of his actual age. Due to this I cannot help but wonder at the ‘Parental Guidance’ guidance as posted on the website. The notice should probably state that the production is suitable for over-12s only.
The reason for this is that sixteen-year-old Pi – short for the French word, ‘piscine’ meaning ‘swimming pool’ – (Hiran Abeysekera) and his family’s small zoo are all plunged into the water when their ship overturns in a storm, leaving Pi as the sole survivor on a lifeboat – together with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena and a Bengal tiger! Not a great mix. You might guess where this is going, especially if you’ve read the book or seen the 2012 film. The tiger appears later, before which the hyena kills the zebra and decapitates the orangutan before the tiger’s late appearance, killing the hyena – cue floods of tears.
In a way, Mini Sardines’ reaction was testament to the design and operation of Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell’s puppets. He was distraught watching a collection of puppets which just happen to be brilliantly operated by a mixture of dedicated puppeteers and cast members. Tim Hatley’s ingenius set design includes a rotating stage, from which smoothly rises the forever moving lifeboat, as well as the sea – into which Pi jumps in one place and rises up at another (you need to be there to understand).
Much of the post-interval action involves Pi and the tiger (called Richard Parker – don’t ask) striking a survival deal and not killing each other in the process. Each needs the other alive to survive. However, it is the latter scenes in act two where Pi recounts his ‘unbelievable’ tale but with the animals replaced by various members of the ship that really disturbs. This is compounded when Pi later asks his convalescent nurse and insurance inspector which tale they prefer and whether their choice prooves God’s existance. Pi, who is a mix between Catholic, Hindu and Muslim, has spent his life looking for the right God to believe in. Why believe in only one God when there are literally hundreds out there?
Members of Pi’s drowned family return during his 250-plus days in the lifeboat with Richard Parker. They, or his memories of them, give him poignant help and advice to tackle his survival, including a Commander Grant-Jones who Pi remembers giving advice on drinking a sea turtle’s blood to survive (lots more tears!) and how to make a deal with the tiger.
The Life of Pi is a wonderful play (if you’re over eight) brilliantly performed and directed. The lack of sea in a story that requires miles of open water doesn’t matter. The puppeteers present under, inside and/or around each animal soon fail to be seen, and therefore don’t matter either. Everything works so well as perhaps only big professional productions such as in the West End can.
This one is excellent, and it is once again lovely to be in a auditorium with others on our road to recovery.
- : admin
- : 11/02/2022