Life Of Pi is an epic story about persevering and surviving in even the harshest of conditions. Author Yann Martel’s 2001 bestseller was turned into a hugely successful film in 2012, and seven years later into a stage play. Unless you’ve seen the stage version, which I hadn’t until last night, it’s hard to imagine how the story could ever be adapted for the theatre. Great credit must therefore go to the supremely talented Lolita Chakrabarti, who not only adapted the book but did the job so well that the production picked up five Olivier Awards, including one for best new play.

If you’ve not read the novel, seen the film, or, as yet at least, caught this stage show, the basic storyline is as follows... In July 1977, due to civil unrest in India, the parents of the story’s teenage male protagonist, Piscine Molitor ‘Pi’ Patel, decide to sell their zoo and move the family to Canada. Along with a few remaining animals, they all board a cargo ship and set sail. But when a terrible storm sinks the vessel, Pi is the only human survivor, finding himself stranded on a lifeboat with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a ferocious Royal Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

And so their harrowing adventure on the Pacific Ocean begins...

Never leaving the stage, newcomer Divesh Subaskaran (making his professional debut) stars as Pi and makes an exceptional job of playing a role which is both physically and emotionally demanding. Assisting him in creating an evening of spellbinding theatre are a talented cast of actors. Doubling as highly skilled puppeteers, they brilliantly work the animals (each of which is beautifully designed) and do a truly impressive job of capturing and conveying the various beasts’ respective characteristics.

Richard Parker’s presence brings further danger to an already perilous situation. Pi’s volatile relationship with him evolves and strengthens during the 227 days that they spend together on the lifeboat. Ultimately, it is the challenge of caring for the tiger that keeps the boy distracted and helps ensure his own survival.

While Pi, the animals and the puppeteers sit at the heart of this stunning show, mention must also be made of the set. Ingenious use of lighting & design transforms the stage from a zoo into a vibrant Indian market, then a freight ship, then a vast, churning ocean, and finally a hospital room, where Pi is recovering from his ordeal.

Life Of Pi is a captivating work of theatre, a remarkable journey of self-discovery for the young man at the heart of the story, and  an emotional rollercoaster ride for the audience, whose appreciation of the experience was perfectly evidenced by the rapturous applause at the end of the night. An exploration of spirituality lies at the core of this terrific tale, prompting questions about whether Pi’s survival for so long a period of time comes as a result of his own incredible determination, or thanks instead to an intervention by some greater power than himself.

All in all, this wonderful production makes for a thoroughly absorbing and profoundly thought-provoking night of high-quality entertainment.

5 stars

Life Of Pi was reviewed by Sue Hull on Tuesday 13 February at Birmingham Hippodrome, where it shows until this Saturday (17 February). The show is also stopping off at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 April and Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn from Tuesday 7 to Saturday 11 May.