By Conor O’Neill
I’d read the hype about this show: reviews, all outstanding, from The Guardian to The Times, Telegraph, regional papers and online discourse. But I didn’t believe the hype. No stage play can be that good? Well, from the proverbial horse’s mouth, I can tell you that Life Of Pi deserves every accolade thrown its way.
Director, Max Webster, brings a cult book to rapturous life. Part psychological thriller, part dreamworld, throw in more than a smidgeon of fantastic puppetry, courtesy of Finn Caldwell and company, and the Opera House is abuzz with astonishment.
This’ll be a difficult paragraph to write. Synopsis, I hear you say? Mother, father, and family; the Patels, sell their zoo in India with a couple of favourite animals and hit the seven seas to find a better life. an accident wrecks everything, and teeanage son Pi (Divesh Subask Aran) finds himself adrift with a few of the animals and an imposter, a giant Bengali tiger.
I’ve been a bit abrupt on the plot; there are so many themes running though this play, it is at times hard to keep up: trust, abandon, prejudice, delusion, questions on reality, thirst, hunger, vengeance and ultimately, survival.
We meet Russian sailors, cooks, a ship’s captain and more besides. Each one essential to the tale. And what ale they’re telling. I’m looking at my notes and none of them make sense. This play is so esoteric, quirky and wonderful you’ll rub your head bald trying to absorb it in one sitting.
For the record, there are six puppeteers operating the tiger, the boat is rushing and running; the action is stupifying, the dialogue a wonder, and as for superlatives, well, I’ve just ran out of them.
You must see this show.
Life of Pi runs at Belfast’s Grand Opea House up to and including Saturday the 24th of February, 2024.
For booking details visit http://www.goh.co.uk or phone the box office on 02890241919.
ENDS
CultureCrush NI 