Life of Pi on stage: the ‘spiritual successor to War Horse’
What the critics are saying about this ‘phenomenal’ adaptation of Yann Martel’s novel

“If a tale is told well enough, it can make us believe anything,” said Tim Bano in The Stage – as this “phenomenal” adaptation of Yann Martel’s novel amply demonstrates. It is so sublimely, brilliantly, dazzlingly told that it makes us believe that a boy (named Pi) and a Bengal tiger can cross the Pacific on a raft and live to tell the tale.
Adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti and directed by Max Webster, the show is the “spiritual successor to War Horse” – a “divine balance of minimalism and maximalism: of puppetry, magic, projections, lights and music on the one hand, and simple, crystalline storytelling on the other”.
The animal puppets created by Finn Caldwell and Nick Barnes are “eerily lifelike”, said Annabel Nugent in The Independent. Giraffes swoop their windy necks low. Goats buck and shake with cheeky personality. When a gust of butterflies flutter on stage, “you can almost see the air shifting beneath their wings”. The tiger himself, operated by three puppeteers, is “astounding”. Each flick of the tail feels utterly real; and when he “leaps in attack, the theatre shakes”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The animals are “exquisite”, agreed Arifa Akbar in The Guardian; and the visual effects and projections are magical too – but “the script and characterisation are flat-footed by comparison”, and there’s little room given to Pi’s existential rumination, which is crucial to his tale.
Still, what you lose in “metaphysical questioning, you gain in the astonishing, constantly surprising magic” of the show’s theatricality, said David Benedict in Variety. Design, sound and lighting all work in stunning concert, along with “ravishingly suggestive, light-touch video work”.
And there’s a captivating central performance from Hiran Abeysekera as Pi. “Lean, brighteyed and startlingly dynamic, he leaps and lunges, cavorts and cries his way through the role with dazzling ease.” Pi’s journey from Pondicherry to Canada was 227 days. This production’s run is likely to be much longer than that.
Wyndham’s Theatre WC2. Until 27 February
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The mounting tensions between Thailand and Cambodia
The Explainer Long-running border disputes are at a decade high, as protesters in Thailand demand the prime minister's resignation
-
The unravelling of 'trolls' paradise' Tattle Life
In the Spotlight Unmasking of founder sends shockwaves through toxic gossip forum
-
Codeword: June 30, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
The tourist flood in the Mediterranean: can it be stemmed?
Talking Point Finger-pointing at Airbnb or hotel owners obscures the root cause of overtourism in holiday hotspots: unmanageable demand
-
Thai fish pie with crispy turmeric potatoes recipe
The Week Recommends Tasty twist on the Lancashire hot pot is given a golden glow
-
Lovestuck: a 'warm-hearted' musical with a 'powerhouse score'
The Week Recommends Team behind the hit podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno have created a hilarious show about a disastrous viral Tinder date
-
Outrageous: glossy Mitford family drama is full of 'fun, fashion and froth'
The Week Recommends Adaptation of Mary Lovell's biography examines the scandalous lives of the aristocratic sisters
-
F1: The Movie – a fun but formulaic 'corporate tie-in'
Talking Point Brad Pitt stars as a washed up racing driver returning three decades after a near-fatal crash
-
Lost Boys: a 'sobering' journey to the heart of the manosphere
The Week Recommends James Bloodworth examines the 'cranks and hucksters' making money through 'masculine discontent'
-
6 productivity-ready homes with great offices
Feature Featuring an office with a gas fireplace in Oregon and a shared workspace with wraparound windows in Massachusetts
-
Critics' choice: Carrying the flag
Feature The best barbecue in town, Bradley Cooper's cheesesteak restaurant, and more