Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The richly evocative, visually arresting Olivier-winning stage adaptation of LIFE OF PI arrives on Broadway

• By drediman
• March 31, 2023
• No Comments

Last night, the New York transfer of the stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s Booker Prize-winning novel novel Life of Pi opened on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. The production arrives on our side of the pond after having scored a success in London’s West End, where it won the Olivier Award for Best New Play. In essence, the work depicts the story of Pi Patel, an Indian boy who defies all odds by being the lone survivor of a Japanese cargo ship that has sunk.

The stage adaptation by playwright Lolita Chakrabarti wastes no time by jumping right into the play’s eventful narrative, fluidly moving back and forth between a Mexican hospital — where Pi finds himself recovering from his traumatic voyage — and the boy’s unlikely fantastical account of his adventures at sea. Although I admire the efficiency and clarity of Chakrabarti’s adaptation, much of the production’s magic comes from the richly evocative and visually arresting staging by Max Webster, who gives the philosophical, parable-like story a textured cinematic quality that distinguishes itself from just about anything else on Broadway.

Key elements to the success of the production include the exquisite puppets by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell and their team of extraordinary puppeteers (Richard Parker, a regal Bengal tiger, is in particular spectacularly brought to life), as well as the lighting and video design work by Tim Lutkin and Andrzej Goulding, respectively. Completing the immersive experience is composer Andrew T. Mackay substantial musical underscoring, which brings layers of emotion to Pi’s journey only hinted at in the text. Altogether, Life of Pi on Broadway is an alluring sensory experience that brings the magic realism of Martel’s novel to vivid life.

Leading the company is Hiran Abeysekera, who makes a sensational Broadway debut as Pi. His is a highly physical, completely in-the-moment tour-de-force performance that convincingly conveys  both the petulance of youth and the wisdom that comes with tough life experiences. It’s no surprise that the performance garnered the talented young actor an Olivier. Abeysekera is joined by a large, diverse cast who bring their A game to the table in order bring this inspiring tale to theatrical life.

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LIFE OF PI
Broadway, Play
Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre
2 hours, 15 minutes (with one intermission)
Open run