Life of Pi (play)
Life of Pi is a play based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Yann Martel adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti.
| Life of Pi | |
|---|---|
 West End artwork | |
| Written by | Lolita Chakrabarti (play) Yann Martel (novel) |
| Date premiered | 28 June 2019 |
| Place premiered | Crucible Theatre, Sheffield |
| Original language | English |
The play premiered in June 2019 at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield before transferring to the Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End in November 2021. The play won five Laurence Olivier Awards (including Best New Play), five UK Theatre Awards (including Best New Play) and Best New Play at the WhatsOnStage Awards.
Production history
The play made its world premiere at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield running from 28 June until 20 July 2019. The play is directed by Max Webster.
Following the success of the Sheffield run, the play opened in London's West End at the Wyndham's Theatre beginning previews on 15 November 2021, with an official opening on 2 December. The play was originally due to open in June 2020 however was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cast and characters
| Character | Sheffield (2019)[1] | London (2021)[2] |
|---|---|---|
| Pi | Hiran Abeysekera | |
| Ma | Mina Anwar | |
| Richard Parker the Tiger | Kate Colebrook Fred Davis Owain Gwynn |
Fred Davis Tom Larkin Daisy Franks Scarlet Wilderink Romina Hytten Tom Stacy |
| Pi's Father | Kammy Darweish | Nicholas Khan |
| Rani | Tara Divina | Payal Mistry |
| Father Martin / Commander Grant-Jones | Tom Espiner | |
| Mamaji / Pandit-Ji | Raj Ghatak | |
| Mrs Biology Kumar / Zaida Khan | Syreeta Kumar | |
| Mr Okamoto | David K. S. Tse | |
| The Cook / The voice of the Tiger | Habib Nasib Nader | |
| Lulu Chen | Gabby Wong | Kirsten Foster |
| Pi (alternate) | n/a | Nuwan Hugh Perera |
Reception
The play received rave reviews from critics and audiences in both the Sheffield and London productions.[3]
Awards and nominations
Sheffield production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | UK Theatre Awards[4] | Best New Play | Won | |
| Best Director | Max Webster | Won | ||
| Best Design | Nick Barnes, Finn Caldwell, Carolyn Downing, Andrzej Goulding, Tim Hatley and Tim Lutkin | Won | ||
| Best Performance in a Play | Hiran Abeysekera | Won | ||
| 2020 | WhatsOnStage Awards[5] | Best New Play | Won | |
| Best Regional Production | Nominated | |||
London production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Laurence Olivier Awards[6] | Best New Play | Won | |
| Best Director | Max Webster | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor | Hiran Abeysekera | Won | ||
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Fred Davis, Daisy Franks, Romina Hytten, Tom Larkin, Habib Nasib Nader, Tom Stacy and Scarlet Wilderink | Won | ||
| Best Sound Design | Carolyn Downing | Nominated | ||
| Best Lighting Design | Andrzej Goulding and Tim Lutkin | Won | ||
| Best Set Design | Tim Hatley (set), Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell (puppetry) | Won | ||
| Best Theatre Choreographer | Finn Caldwell | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Score or New Orchestrations | Andrew T. Mackay | Nominated | ||
External links
References
- "CAST ANNOUNCED FOR LIFE OF PI". Sheffield Theatres. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
- "London stage show 'Life of Pi' reveals full West End cast | WestEndTheatre.com". www.westendtheatre.com. 2021-10-13. Retrieved 2022-04-12.
- "'It's a hit' - five-star reviews for Life of Pi on stage in Sheffield". BBC News. 2019-07-10. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- "UK Theatre Awards 2019: the winners in full". The Stage. Retrieved 2022-04-18.
- "20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards winners include Andrew Scott, Claire Foy, Come From Away and Six | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
- "Olivier Awards 2022: the winners in full". The Stage. Retrieved 2022-04-18.