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BrumHour saw Life of Pi at the invite of Birmingham Hippodrome.
For Brum Radio’s Interval Theatre, Peter Twose spoke about his role as a physical performer and puppeteer with Life of Pi’s UK Tour. Listen Below
By Becky Kroon twitter.com/BeckyKroon
Review: Life of Pi at Birmingham Hippodrome
⭐⭐⭐⭐”A sublime theatrical spectacle”
Directed by Max Webster, adapted from Yann Martel’s novel by Lolita Chakrabarti
Lolita Chakrabarti’s Olivier-winning Life of Pi is a compelling story of survival and faith. It follows the journey of Pi (played by Divesh Subaskaran) and his family, who decide to move their zoo from India to Canada to start a fresh chapter. Embarking on their mission, a storm sweeps over their cargo ship, separating Pi and his family where he is left in isolation on the boat, sharing with the zoo’s Bengal Tiger, Richard Parker.
As a fan of the 2012 film, I was interested to see how Pi’s isolation would be translated from the screen to the stage. The ensemble emulated being lost at sea, moving props around the space to create the illusion of Pi’s vast surroundings. The stage and lighting design further added to immersion, with the pinnacle moment of the storm in act creating such an absorbing atmosphere.
The story comes to life through the production’s puppetry. Finn Caldwell’s movement direction captures such life-like motions of the zoo animals, from the zebra and hyena to the sea turtles. The moment the audience first sees Richard Parker be introduced, which demonstrated the scale of the puppet was nothing short of breathtaking.
Credit where it is due goes to Subaskaran’s lead performance. Never leaving the stage, his multitasking role in telling such an emotive story was gripping, in which I applaud Subaskaran on a successful professional debut.
Life of Pi is a sublime theatrical spectacle, designed with masterful craftsmanship. If you are new to the story, I would recommend visiting it at the Birmingham Hippodrome until 17th February 2024 or on another date of its UK tour. Book tickets here: birminghamhippodrome.com/calendar/life-of-pi.
