Review: LIFE OF PI, Wyndhams Theatre
Photo credit: Johan Persson
First conceived as a piece of theatre in Sheffield, Life Of Pi has sailed into the West End, the Wyndham's Theatre to be precise and it's arrived with a splash; bringing something entirely unique to the West End that we're sure will be making waves for a long time to come.
Ok, we'll stop with the water puns but Besties, what we won't stop is talking about how amazing this show is! Words like stunning, beautiful, magical, don't cut it - Tim Hatley's design is a character of its own. Starting in Pi’s plain hospital room, before transforming into among other places: a Pondicherry Zoo, cargo ship and of course, the vast ocean that Pi finds himself stranded in for 200+ days with a Bengal tiger...
Out of context, that may sound insane so let's tell you a little about the show. A young man is recovering in hospital, his name is Pi (Hiran Abeysekera) and we soon discover he is the sole survivor of a shipwreck almost a year ago. But why has he only just washed up now? How has he survived for so long? Interviewed by the insurance company, Pi sets about telling us his story. The inventive staging takes us back and forth between Pi's multiple narratives and the hospital...
The set ebs and flows with life as the boat rises from nothing and floats on a projected sea. It's truly wondrous that a relatively small theatre can be made to feel like the expansive Pacific Ocean, yet you are guaranteed to be transported completely! Another incredible aspect of this production are the many, *many* animal puppets that are able to command the stage as much as any human actor, thanks to Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell's imagination.
Whether they are operated by one, two, or three performers, each animal becomes one on stage as, thanks to the brilliant characterisation, you are able to suspend your disbelief to the point where it is, in fact, a real tiger on stage.
This is further sold by Abeysekera's electric performance as Pi. He never leaves the stage, and entrances the audience with his charisma, making the unbelievable believable and aiding us on his impossible journey. It is his interaction and on-stage relationship with Richard Parker (The Tiger) that is the icing on the top of this fantastical cake, allowing us to be fully immersed.
Whilst the outcome of this story is left ambiguous, this, we believe, is intentional, leaving the audience to question which version of events they themselves prefer. The piece poses questions about belief and therefore lends itself perfectly to the medium of theatre, where puppets must be used where live animals can't be, and we are active participants in creating the world in which performance takes place.
Besties, don't think twice before booking this production and to enjoy it properly, you'll want to see it from above. Trust us.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Callum Wallace
Life of Pi is currently booking until 27 February 2022 at the Wyndhams Theatre, with tickets available here.
