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A review from 5D Music & Theatre writer Maria Robertson.
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Produced by Simon Friend Entertainment this adaption of the story of Life of Pi is breathtakingly beautiful.
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I must admit I have not read the book, by Yann Martel, or seen the popular film. I believe this to be a good way to arrive at the theatre: with the blank canvas of an open mind. I knew there was a boy, a boat, a tiger and an epic journey. Playwright Lolita Chakrabarti certainly did not disappoint in bringing this to life in a captivating manner.
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The story starts with the young boy Pi being interviewed by two ladies who need information about an accident he was in. He was the only survivor of a ship sinking. This teenager brings the story to life as he tells it, and we see it all acted out. He grew up in a zoo in India with his family and the animals. These are acted by puppeteers and are just fabulous. There is indeed a tiger, but also an orangutan, a goat, a hyena and a zebra. The puppets are very cleverly designed, by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, who is also the Puppetry and Movement Director. With the bigger animals they actually have a puppeteer inside them, with others controlling some of the outer parts, which really brought them to life. There are also butterflies, fish and a sea turtle who play a part in the story and although they are smaller and just controlled on sticks they still achieve the affect of being living creatures.
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The stage effects are just fabulous, we really were at sea with the waves crashing, or following the map as the ship sails across the seas from India towards Canada. In fact this was probably my favourite scene, as the map appeared across the stage with a red dot tracing the journey, whilst also appearing on a screen in front of Pi that he was sat watching. Meanwhile a puppeteer carried a small ship across the stage with a cloud of steam following her, and we really got the feeling of progression. The journey is a key part in the plot, not just physically as the family flee India but also mentally as the boy learns some valuable life lessons. Before leaving India he has been attending the holy houses of three different religions to find guidance. Pi does not understand why people say he has to choose one way to worship God, he claims he loves him and wants to worship him as much as possible, in all the different ways which is a really interesting concept.
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The actor playing Pi is just amazing, Divesh Subaskaran really gets into the character and you really feel like you are there with him in India, on the big ship, on the lifeboat. After the tragic accident when he loses all his family and the animals, you really feel for him as he tells the ladies the story of what happened.
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This show is touring the UK until the end of June when it returns to Scotland with runs in Glasgow and Edinburgh. If you cannot make it along to its Scottish premier in Aberdeen this week I suggest you try and catch it on a future date, you will not be disappointed. The lady in front of us literally gasped at the end: “well I can never watch the movie again as it is is just not that good”!
Further information: https://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/whats-on/life-of-pi/
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Maria Robertson is the Chief Music & Theatre Writer for the 5D Pop Culture Website and provides reviews & coverage of local Aberdeen music & theatre gigs. She’s an experienced writer for numerous sources and is a self-confessed live gig addict ever since seeing The Counting Crows at the Barrowlands in 1994.
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