
The Sheffield Theatre's production transfers to Wyndham's Theatre, West End, following a string of five-star reviews (Sunday Times, Guardian, The Times, The Stage, Observer). The show starred Hiran Abeysekera as main character Pi Patel, but casting for the West End production is yet to be announced. Equipped with other-worldly lighting, astonishing puppetry design and an innovative set, the adaptation, says The Times, makes 'you believe in the power of theatre'.
The story traces 16-year-old Pi Patel's journey after a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the Pacific. Although he loses his family, Pi isn't the only one aboard the single lifeboat. The harsh conditions are made all the more terrifying by four other survivors: a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger called Richard Parker, a hyena, a zebra and an orangutan.
Hiran Abeysekera as Pi with tiger Richard Parker in the Sheffield production, by Johan Persson
Directed by Max Webster (Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax, Cover My Tracks), the Wyndham's Theatre production will spill out from the stage into the stalls, reflecting the vast Pacific. Puppet and movement director Finn Caldwell, the original puppeteer of War Horse, will bring the animal characters to life.
Actress and playwright Lolita Chakrabarti, who adapted the book for the stage, won multiple awards for the most promising playwright (Evening Standard Theatre Award and The Critics Circle Award) following her play Red Velvet. After the stellar reviews for Sheffield's Crucible Theatre production, it looks like the West End production will enjoy similar success.
What | Life of Pi, Wyndham's Theatre |
Where | Wyndham's Theatre, 32 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0DA | MAP |
Nearest tube | Leicester Square (underground) |
When |
26 Sep 21 – 09 Jan 22, 7:45 PM – 9:50 PM |
Price | £27.50 – 117.50 |
Website | Click here for more information and tickets |