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
-
Does depopulation threaten humanity?
Talking Points Falling birth rates could create a 'smaller, sadder, poorer future'
-
New White House guidance means federal employees could be hearing more religious talk at work
The Explainer Employees can now try to persuade co-workers of why their religion is 'correct'
-
Real-life couples creating real-deal sparks in the best movies to star IRL partners
The Week Recommends The chemistry between off-screen items can work wonders
-
Aysegul Savas' 6 favorite books for readers who love immersive settings
Feature The Paris-based Turkish author recommends works by Hiromi Kawakami, Virginia Woolf, and more
-
Book reviews: 'The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century' by Tim Weiner and 'The Aviator and the Showman: Amelia Earhart, George Putnam, and the Marriage That Made an American Icon' by Laurie Gwen Shapiro
feature
-
The Coldplay kiss cam affair: a cautionary tale
In the Spotlight The pair became 'the most googled people on the planet' after getting caught having an affair at a Coldplay concert
-
Connie Francis: superstar of the early 1960s pop scene
In the Spotlight The 'Pretty Little Baby' and 'Stupid Cupid' singer has died aged 87
-
Friendship: 'bromance' comedy starring Paul Rudd and Tim Robinson
The Week Recommends 'Lampooning and embracing' middle-aged male loneliness, this film is 'enjoyable and funny'
-
6 head-turning homes for town house living
Feature Featuring a roof deck with city views in South Carolina and a renovated Harlem brownstone in New York City
-
Bookish: delightful period detective drama from Mark Gatiss
The Week Recommends 'Cosy crime' series is a 'standout pleasure' in an Agatha Christie-style formula
-
Music Reviews: Justin Bieber, Wet Leg, and Clipse
Feature "Swag," "Moisturizer," and "Let God Sort Em Out"