Review: LIFE OF PI at Ahmanson Theatre
Puppetry, projection, and performers fused perfectly in 'Pi'
The reviews for Life of Pi have arrived at a clear consensus. After its Sheffield premiere, the play took London, Boston, and then Broadway by storm eliciting praise and garnering prestigious awards for its sumptuous design elements. This critic can do nothing but affirm the hype! In the current North American tour, which will be at the Ahmanson Theatre for the coming weeks before heading to Costa Mesa, Max Webster’s staging (adapted by Ashley Brooke Monroe for the tour) perfectly fuses the elements of Tim Hatley’s scenic design, Tim Deiling’s lighting, Andrzej Goulding’s video & animation design, and the puppets by Finn Caldwell & Nick Barnes to create a surreal visual dream world.
Taha Mandviwala helms the cast and aptly carries the narrative opposite Richard Parker, a prowling, lumbering, lunging tiger puppet operated by a team of puppeteers. Puppetry and movement director Finn Caldwell is the genius who has really elevated the show, bringing a delightful cast of animals to life in surprisingly realistic and emotional ways. The audience is repeatedly delighted to see the interactions between orangutans, hyenas, a turtle, a zebra, and even a school of fish with the human members of the cast. Stunning visuals of a clear night sky filled with stars, bioluminescence of underwater life, and a botanical garden teeming with butterflies fill the stage in turns.
Lolita Chakrabarti’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s novel punches hard at the emotional and philosophical themes within the story, oftentimes effectively with the occasional misstep. The framing device of Pi relaying the narrative to a team of professionals in an institution feels incongruous at times and packages the play up neatly and explained ad nauseam— suddenly, the entire piece feels as though intended as a work of children’s theatre, belying its 2 hour runtime and often viscerally disturbing violence. I wouldn’t steer parents away from the production, but it takes a frank look at death and portrays animalistic tendencies with an unflinching look before broadcasting to the audience it does not trust we were paying attention. Aside from feeling heavily expositional, the framing device acts as a stumbling block, preventing the action from soaring. I believe without it, Life of Pi could join the ranks of War Horse or The Lion King as a truly perfect fusion of performer and puppet in cohesive storytelling. As is, Life of Pi is a solid play fused with elements of brilliant puppetry.
With a visual world this compelling, I’d advise seats further from the stage—- you’ll be able to take in the world as a whole, including the intricate projections on the stage floor. Overall, the production is inventive, engaging, and emotionally-effective. Though the visual world and original staging has aptly stolen the reviews, the cast rises to the challenge of the material and earns every moment of the standing ovation received on their opening night.
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