As December arrives the theatre world is taken over by that curiously British institution, The Pantomime. With all its familiar tropes and traditions, it provides much needed distraction for excitable children who have consumed too much sugar over the festive period, as well as harassed parents sorely in need of a family themed distraction. For those who do not delight in such earthy offerings, over the next month the Lyric Theatre will be playing host to the UK and Ireland tour of ‘ Life of Pi’, the West End and Broadway smash hit, providing a cerebral alternative to the tales of beanstalks, slippers and lamps that are available elsewhere.
Based on the best-selling novel by Yann Martel and adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabati, ‘Life Of Pi’ tells the extraordinary story of 17-year-old Piscine Molitor (Tanvi Virmani) – Pi to her family – and her survival for 227 days in the Pacific Ocean after a shipwreck which killed her entire family. Following an improbable rescue, she is questioned as to how she managed this unlikely feat, the story forms the basis for this extraordinary fable blending metaphor and magicality into a spellbinding narrative. Chakrabati initially adapted this novel for the stage of Sheffield Crucible Theatre in 2019 and the difficulty in bringing the complex source material alive was a challenge that she met head on. Like ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe before it, the story manages to work as both a wonderful simple tale for adults and children alike, whilst simultaneously allowing deeper questions of human nature and religion to be examined by the writer.
Faith and religion run through this story like writing in a stick of rock; Pi is brought up as a Hindu but converts to both Islam and Christianity and practices all three at the same time, much to the annoyance of the local religious leaders who claim that only their faith contains the whole and exclusive truth. This interpretation then allows us to see the entire story through a metaphorical lens, when confronting her inquisitors with this fantastical story or the more prosaic alternative she asks which they prefer, demonstrating that a life with faith is infinitely more colourful than one spent as an agnostic in search of cold truth. Whether or not the audience will choose to delve this deeply into the subtext is questionable, most will look at it as a cracking adventure story for all the family and it is this duality which holds the key to its appeal to adults as well as children.
Anyone familiar with the book, film or stage production may be confused by my reference to Pi using the female pronoun given the sex of the original character, however illness in the cast on the Press night caused Tanvi Virmani to step into the eponymous role at short notice. Having played the part successfully in the London production this held no fears for her with girlish strength replacing boyish naivete in her characterisation of Pi, indeed the character has such an asexual nature making sex blind casting straightforward in this case. She was well supported by a small cast doubling up in a number of roles and adding to the sense of mystery and confusion as to the real truth of his story, with Goldy Notay particularly noteworthy in the role of Amma and Peter Twose as Cook/Richard Parker also taking the eye.
However, for once, the undoubted stars of the show are to be found in the technical categories with the lighting, set, choreography and above all puppetry taking well deserved plaudits during the 2022 award season. Tim Hatley and Tim Lutkin together with Director Max Webster create nothing short of a visual wonder, turning the cavernous Lyric Theatre stage into the vast Pacific with lighting projection and an entire boat rising and falling throughout. Populating this wondrous set, the puppets of Finn Caldwell portray each animal in the most delicate detail, from the scurrying rat and ponderous turtle through to the magnificent terror of Richard Parker, the eight-foot Bengal Tiger with whom Pi shares his odyssey. My only reservations were that from the stalls seats in the theatre were not fully able to appreciate the stunning special effects, as most were displayed on the stage floor, a tip if booking the show at this venue would be to sit in the Circle to best appreciate their full effect. Also, the scenes when Pi was relating her story to the Doctor and Investigator felt lost in such a large space, designed as they were for a more intimate theatrical arena and a warning that anyone with younger children may find some of the scenes involving the puppet animals a little frightening, the realism of the animal deaths being gruesomely portrayed in animated form.
Verdict: Having previously only seen the NT Live version of this show, I was anxious to see it live, and it did not disappoint. A beautiful and beguiling story that is wonderfully told by a cast, crew and creative team at the top of their game.
Playing until 7th January 2024, https://thelowry.com/whats-on/life-of-pi/
Reviewer: Paul Wilcox
Reviewed: 6th December 2023
North West End UK Rating: