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Cast announced as The Spellbinding Show prepare  to transform Wyndham’s Theatre

Life of Pi

Full casting has been announced for Life of Pi, the celebrated Sheffield Theatres production which will transfer to London this summer. Life of Pi – Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling adaptation of Yann Martel’s extraordinary, award-winning book – was awarded a string of five-star reviews when it opened in Sheffield last year.

Hiran Abeysekera, whose performance in the lead role won him universal critical acclaim, will return as Pi.

Life of Pi will transfer to the Wyndham’s Theatre where, for the first time ever, the historic theatre will be transformed to fully accommodate the magnificent elements of the production that left audiences mesmerised. Performances will begin on Sunday 28 June (Press Night: Wednesday 15 July at 7:00pm). The production is directed by Max Webster.

For all information, please see www.lifeofpionstage.com

The full company includes: Mina Anwar (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Apollo theatre and Sheffield Crucible), Sagar Arya (Casualty), Alex Chang (Golden Shield, Soho Theatre and Yellow Earth Theatre), Fred Davis (Ocean at the end of the Lane, National Theatre), Tom Espiner (Berberian Sound Studio, Donmar Warehouse), Kirsten Foster (Much Ado About Nothing, New English Shakespeare Company and Dubai Opera House), Daisy Franks (The Gruesome Twosome, The Place), Raj Ghatak (The Kite Runner, Best Actor Winner, UK Tour), Nuwan Hugh Perera (Side Show, Southwark Playhouse), Romina Hytten (The Lorax, The Old Vic and The Royal Alexander Theatre, Toronto), Sarah Kameela Impey (Much Ado About Nothing, Northern Broadsides), Tom Larkin (Bury the Dead, Finborough Theatre), David K.S. Tse (Chimerica, Almeida & Harold Pinter Theatre), Syreeta Kumar (Equus, English Touring Theatre), Deeivya Meir (Warlords & Tyrants, Rada Festival and Fireraisers), Habib Nasib Nader (Downtown Paradise, Welsh Fargo Theatre Company) and Scarlet Wilderink (Treasure Island, Stephen Joseph Theatre).

After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, there are five survivors stranded on a single lifeboat – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, a sixteen year-old boy and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them, nature is harsh, who will survive?

Based on one of the best-loved works of fiction – winner of the Man Booker Prize, selling over fifteen million copies worldwide – Life of Pi is a breath-taking new theatrical adaptation of an epic journey of endurance and hope.

Award winning writer Yann Martel’s works include The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios (1993), Self (1996), We Ate the Children Last (2004), Beatrice and Virgil (2010) – a New York Times Bestseller and a Financial Times Best Book, 101 Letters to a Prime Minister (2012) – a collection of letters to the prime minister of Canada; and The High Mountains of Portugal (2016).

Lolita Chakrabarti is an award-winning actress and playwright. Her writing credits include; Red Velvet which opened at the Tricycle Theatre in London in 2012 before returning there in 2014, transferring to New York and the West End.  Red Velvet was nominated for nine major awards including two Olivier Awards. Lolita won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright, The Critics Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright and the AWA Award for Arts and Culture.

Max Webster was the inaugural Baylis Director at the Old Vic and is now an Associate Director at the theatre where his work includes Fanny and Alexander, Cover My Tracks and Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax. Selected other stage work includes the forthcoming The Merry Widow (ENO), The Jungle Book (Northampton/Fiery Angel UK tour), The Winter’s Tale (Lyceum, Edinburgh), and King Lear (Royal and Derngate, Northampton/UK tour).

The extraordinary animals are brought to life by Puppet & Movement Director Finn Caldwell, who began his career in the original company of the National Theatre’s international phenomenon War Horse. He is the Artistic Director of his own company Gyre & Gimble, for whom work includes: co-director/puppet designer of The Four Seasons: A Reimagining (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Hartlepool Monkey (UK tour) and The Elephantom (National Theatre & West End). His other work includes: director of puppetry/movement for Angels in America (National Theatre & Broadway), The Light Princess (National Theatre), War Horse (West End & Internationally) and Groundhog Day (Old Vic & Broadway).

Life of Pi is produced by Simon Friend in association with Playing Field and Robert Bartner.

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Top 5 Shows Of 2019 (according to me)

Top 5 Shows

To get a sense of how many great shows played UK theatres in 2019, look at some of the outstanding productions that didn’t make my top 5.

The Boy in the Dress

The Boy in the Dress

From the RSC’s Robbie Williams powered The Boy in the Dress (brilliantly adapted from David Walliams’ book), the first actor-musician staging of Kiss Me, Kate at Watermill Theatre in Newbury, Ian McKellen’s herculean 80 date one man evening of autobiography that was a love letter to theatre, a reinvigorated West Side Story at Manchester’s Royal Exchange and, of course, Chichester Festival Theatre’s dazzling Oklahoma!

There was a dizzying array of delights on offer.

Let’s get the bad out the way, shall we?

Waitress. Oh Waitress…

Based on Adrienne Shelly’s film and scored by Sara Bareilles, the New York hit arrived in London in a flat, laboured, commercially driven production. It lingered on and on and on with haphazard marketing, repellent casting & the worst set in town.

Joe Sugg in Waitress

Joe Sugg in Waitress ( i can’t)

States of denial vary, obviously. But casting vlogger Joe Sugg and Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts was a desperate attempt to keep the doors open that made me shudder.

A move which was either an act of open warfare on its own audiences or a demonstration of supreme charity towards superior broadway imports peppered across town.

Elsewhere, Sean Foley’s musical staging of The Man in The White Suit featured Stephen Mangan and Kara Tointon. Both performers were trapped in “what the hell’s going on” territory, and up against some hum-drum stage effects, while Sue Johnston phoned it in as a washer-woman.

The Man in the White Suit

The Man in the White Suit ( hellish)

Bizarre and ghastly, it left audiences in theatre hell and closed 6 weeks early.

Best we can say about The Man In The White Suit is at least it was brief.

I don’t think I have the energy to give Big – The Musical an autopsy – suffice to say it was totally terrible.

Anyway, my top 5 shows of 2019:

1. Life of Pi 

If I were picking a theatre of the year, it would undoubtedly be Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre.

Life of Pi

Life of Pi

With one compelling show after another in Guys and Dolls, Reasons To Stay Alive and then this remarkable reimagining of Yann Martel’s book. Everything was stunningly brought to life in a production of theatrical genius, cunningly adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti.

The puppetry was terrific and the stage design by Tim Hatley was gorgeous. The entire cast, led by Hiran Abeysekera were remarkable by any standards.

In case you missed this five-star spectacle, fear not; Crucible Theatre’s acclaimed production will come to the London stage next year.

The Wyndham’s’ auditorium will be reconfigured for the first time in order to accommodate the production, with seating levels altered and the stage extended out into the stalls. Unmissable.

Come from Away

Come from Away ( very good)

2. Come From Away

This feel-good musical comes straight from the heart and it is solid gold, winning the best new musical Olivier award, as well as best sound design and outstanding achievement in music.

Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s folksy show tells the tale of 7,000 stranded air passengers amid the chaos of 9/11 and the small town  that took them in.

A uniformly excellent cast captivate audiences for 100 storming minutes: you’ll laugh, tap your foot, cry happy tears, and leave feeling good about civilisation. A must see.

3. Death of a Salesman 

Originally staged at the Young Vic and transferring to the west end in the autumn, a beautiful piece of theatre which was and there are no two ways about this, amazing.

Death of a Salesman

Death of a Salesman ( stunning)

Wendell Pierce and Sharon D Clarke probably nailed some Olivier Award nominations with their outstanding and dusted down performances as Willy and Linda Loman too.

Arthur Miller’s timeless play – staged with clear-eyed precision by Marianne Elliott & Miranda Cromwell – was something special, while Wendell Pierce delivered a shattering portrait of a man adrift.

Dream team Elliott and Cromwell carved something new and utterly contemporary out of an old play, with the dislocating quality of a dream.

Broadway beckons, surely.

4. Standing at The Sky’s Edge

An astonishing musical, with new and old songs by pop star Richard Hawley and a snappy book by Chris Bush, possessed the rarest things in modern British musicals, a beginning, a middle, an end, and a sense of humour.

Standing at the Sky's Edge

Standing at the Sky’s Edge

The portrayal of high-rise communities in the iconic concrete housing estate could hardly be bettered. Sky’s Edge delicately told the story of three very different families through generations in the 1960s, 80s, and 2000s on Sheffield’s most notorious estate.

What moved me and others to tears, in this across-the decades wonder, also offerered one of the richest and most profound audience experiences of the year. Robert Hastie’s heartfelt production delighted in being visceral. Ben Stone’s concrete multi-level design both stunningly simple and enchanting; it all added up to something greater than the sum of its parts.

It was damn near perfect. I hope it has another life.

5.  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 

Look, 2019 marked 50 years since the original Joseph concept album was released. This summer, the eccentric show was back at the London Palladium.

Laurence Connor directed a cast including Sheridan Smith and Jason Donovan, who brought  charisma to a gleeful revival – but neither could match the professional debut of Arts Ed graduate Jac Yarrow. This was a shimmering summer pantomime.

Joseph at the Palladium

Joseph at the Palladium

At its centre, Yarrow elevated Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s silly musical to new heights; it was almost as if he was born to sing Close Every Door on that Palladium stage. I didn’t always know what was happening, but it didn’t matter – everyone left with a smile on their face after an entertaining and vibrant 100 minutes.

Brava!

And that brings our list to a close. Not great news for 9 to 5 The Musical, but pretty good news for theatre’s best people.

The end.
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Life of Pi – the acclaimed, spellbinding show – transfers to London

Simon Friend, the producer of the acclaimed Life of Pi, has announced that the celebrated Sheffield Theatres production will transfer to London in 2020. Life of Pi – Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling adaptation of Yann Martel’s extraordinary, award-winning book – was awarded a string of five-star reviews when it opened in Sheffield earlier this year.

Life of Pi will transfer to the Wyndham’s Theatre, with performances beginning on Monday 22 June 2020 (Press Night: Thursday 9 July 2020). The production is directed by Max Webster.

Tickets go on General Sale today, Friday 11 October 2019. For all information, please see www.lifeofpionstage.com

For the first time ever, the historic Wyndham’s Theatre will be transformed to fully accommodate the magnificent elements of the production that left audiences mesmerised and won unanimous critical acclaim.

Cameron Mackintosh, the owner of the Wyndham’s Theatre, said: “Rarely does a theatrical version of a film eclipse the original, but the brilliant staged adaption of Yann Martel’s “Life Of Pi” is one of those exceptions and I am thrilled that it is coming to the Wyndham’s Theatre after its sensational sell out premiere at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield earlier this year.

The production team’s approach to the material has been mirrored by their innovative reinvention of the Wyndham’s auditorium, rejigging levels and extending the stage over the stalls so that the floor and walls of the theatre become one complete surreal environment, that I think it will be even more intense than before. Audiences are in for a Pi-flying ride into their imagination!”

Simon Friend said: “We are very fortunate to have Cameron Mackintosh’s full support behind our reconfiguration of the Wyndham’s Theatre. This will give audiences the very best experience of our state-of-the-art design and video projection, as well as bringing the majestic Pacific Ocean in to the stalls.”

Rob Hastie, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Simon Friend to take Life of Pi onwards from Sheffield Theatres. I’m almost envious of the new audiences who will get to discover the beauty and brilliance of Yann’s novel, Lolita’s play and Max’s production for the first time. Life of Pi demonstrates the commitment we make at Sheffield Theatres to putting adventurous new work on our stages, and is the result of the skills and hard work of an enormous number of people, all putting their talents in the service of great storytelling.”

After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean, there are five survivors stranded on a single lifeboat – a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, a sixteen year-old boy and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. Time is against them, nature is harsh, who will survive?

Based on one of the best-loved works of fiction – winner of the Man Booker Prize, selling over fifteen million copies worldwide – Life of Pi is a breath-taking new theatrical adaptation of an epic journey of endurance and hope.

Award winning writer Yann Martel’s works include The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios (1993), Self (1996), We Ate the Children Last (2004), Beatrice and Virgil (2010) – a New York Times Bestseller and a Financial Times Best Book, 101 Letters to a Prime Minister (2012) – a collection of letters to the prime minister of Canada; and The High Mountains of Portugal (2016).

Lolita Chakrabarti is an award-winning actress and playwright. Her writing credits include; Red Velvet which opened at the Tricycle Theatre in London in 2012 before returning there in 2014, transferring to New York and the West End.  Red Velvet was nominated for nine major awards including two Olivier Awards. Lolita won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright, The Critics Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright and the AWA Award for Arts and Culture.

Max Webster was the inaugural Baylis Director at the Old Vic and is now an Associate Director at the theatre where his work includes Fanny and Alexander, Cover My Tracks and Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax. Selected other stage work includes the forthcoming The Merry Widow (ENO), The Jungle Book (Northampton/Fiery Angel UK tour), The Winter’s Tale (Lyceum, Edinburgh), and King Lear (Royal and Derngate, Northampton/UK tour).

The extraordinary animals are brought to life by Puppet & Movement Director Finn Caldwell, who began his career in the original company of the National Theatre’s international phenomenon War Horse. He is the Artistic Director of his own company Gyre & Gimble, for whom work includes: co-director/puppet designer of The Four Seasons: A Reimagining (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Hartlepool Monkey (UK tour) and The Elephantom (National Theatre & West End). His other work includes: director of puppetry/movement for Angels in America (National Theatre & Broadway), The Light Princess (National Theatre), War Horse (West End & Internationally) and Groundhog Day (Old Vic & Broadway).

Casting for Life of Pi is to be announced.

Life of Pi is produced by Simon Friend in association with Playing Field and Robert Bartner.

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All Hail Regional Theatre

Pi with Tiger (sky and stars)

My new year’s resolution was to visit theatres outside of London more.
It is true that there has never been a better time to check out theatre outside the London bubble.
In fact, my show of the year – *so far* – is Life of Pi at Crucible in Sheffield; it was as above average as theatre goes. This  production was extraordinary and the creative team so completely at the top of their game. A 2020 London transfer is guaranteed.

Life of Pi

Life of Pi

Recently on the subject of Life of Pi, Baz Bamigboye praised theatre beyond the M25: “Interesting that the best work these days is not being done in our national houses, but in regional theatres and off West End sites.”
It is impossible to disagree with Baz, he’s 100% right, of course. But the era of subsidy as we knew it has run its course – contrary to years of austerity cuts it appears that regional theatre is in rude health. The best theatre is happening right now and outside of London – despite a chilly funding landscape.

In this regard, ending austerity needs to happen and whatever the form Brexit eventually takes, we can only hope that there will be more public spending and provision for culture.

I won’t hold my breath, though.

Unfortunately, Nicky Morgan has become the Culture Secretary following a cabinet reshuffle by new UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson; Morgan has previously expressed support for the EBacc and once claimed that studying the arts is not “useful” for many careers. Oh dear.

Perhaps understandably then, in recent times some regional theatres booked tribute acts and programmed cripplingly predictable safe work. You hope for better, obviously, from publicly funded organisations. It’s tough out there, though.

Oklahoma!

Oklahoma!

Anyway, over the summer I have managed to catch Birmingham Hippodrome and Curve Leicester’s bold production of The Color Purple, witness the first actor-musician version of Kiss Me Kate at Watermill Theatre, Newbury, admire a fresh minted West Side Story in Manchester, and savour Chichester Festival Theatre’s mighty summer revival of Oklahoma!

These organisations are crucial to the ecology of UK theatre and they rarely fail to deliver the goods. Most impressively, they avoid a race to the commercial-driven bottom.

Kiss Me Kate

Kiss Me Kate

In his column for the Stage this week, Daniel Evans said: “London is welcoming a surge of work from the UK’s subsidised regional houses. Look at the current wave: Bristol Old Vic, Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum and Northampton’s Royal and Derngate collaborated with Fuel to bring their adaptation of Touching the Void to the Duke of York’s and Sheffield Theatres’ Everybody’s Talking About Jamie continues to uplift audiences at the Apollo.”

He’s right, too – regional theatres that are succeeding best create “I-was-there” moments for an audience. They are also engaging with their communities.

I’m thinking of Mark Gattiss in The Madness of George III at Nottingham Playhouse, The Grinning Man at Bristol Old Vic, Flowers For Mrs Harris, anything with Maxine Peake at Royal Exchange in Manchester, Kneehigh‘s ‘Ubu Karaoke’ at the Asylum in Cornwall, Sweeney Todd at Liverpool Everyman, Richard Hawley and Chris Bush’s musical Standing at the Sky’s Edge, and so on.

So, I encourage you to step out of your immediate theatre-going zone, support it and explore the riches of British theatre, whether it is the Midlands, Scotland or Wales.

You won’t regret it.  

 

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