TOUR CASTING CONFIRMED FOR THE MULTI-OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING WEST END PRODUCTION OF LIFE OF PI
19th June 2023
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Simon Friend Entertainment is delighted to announce casting for Lolita Chakrabarti’s dazzling Olivier Award-winning stage adaption of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel Life of Pi, starring an extraordinary life-size puppeteered Bengal Tiger. Beginning its first-ever tour of the UK and Ireland at the Sheffield’s Lyceum theatre this August 2023Life of Pi comes to Birmingham Hippodrome from Monday 12 – Saturday 17 February 2024Divesh Subaskaran is confirmed to make his professional debut in the central role of Pi.

 

He is joined by Antony Antunes, who performs as Tiger Hind / Cook / Father Martin, Adwitha Arumugam as Pi Alternate, Bhawna Bhawsar as Lulu Chen/Mrs Biology Kumar, Ralph Birtwell as Mamaji/ Admiral Balbir Singh, Kriss Dosanjh as Father, Sebastian Goffin as Tiger Head, Akash Heer as Tiger Head,  Romina Hytten as Tiger Heart and Hind,  Katie Kennedy-Rose as Tiger Heart and Hind, Aizah Khan as Tiger Heart and Hind, Chand Martinez as Pandit-ji,  Keshini Misha as Rani, Goldy Notay as Amma, Sharita Oomeer as Lulu Chen / Mrs Biology Kumar, Kate Rowsell as Tiger Heart and Hind, Lilian Tsang as Mrs Okamoto/Zaida Khan/Ships Captain, Peter Twose and Tiger Head/Voice of Richard Parker/Cook/Father Martin. 

 

Life of Pi, which concluded its West End run on 15 January 2023, first opened to critical acclaim at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield in 2019. International commitments for the show include its North American Premiere at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University where it ran from 4 December 2022 to 29 January 2023, followed by its Broadway premiere at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater where it opened on 9 March 2024. A European tour will follow the tour of the UK and Ireland and there are plans underway for a tour of Australia and Asia.

 

Life of Pi won five Olivier Awards in April 2022. As well as Best New Play, and Best Actor for Hiran Abeysekera (the original Pi); in an historic first for the Olivier Awards - the seven performers who puppeteer the Tiger ‘Richard Parker’ were collectively awarded Best Actor in a Supporting Role. The production also picked up awards for set (Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell), and lighting design (Tim Lutkin and Andrzej Goulding).

 

Opening to celebratory reviews on Broadway in March the production is nominated for five Tony Awards in the following categories: Best Direction (Max Webster), Best Scenic Design, Best Costume Design, Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design. This year’s awards will be held on 12th June (01.00 BST).

 

The production is directed by Max Webster, Set and Costume Designer is Tim Hatley, the Puppet Designers are Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, the Puppet and Movement Director is Finn Caldwell, the Video Designer is Andrzej Goulding, the Lighting Designer is Tim Lutkin, the Sound Designer is Carolyn Downing, the Composer is Andrew T Mackay, Dramaturgy is by Jack Bradley, the Casting Director is Polly Jerrold, the Associate Director is Leigh Toney, the Associate Puppetry and Movement Director is Scarlet Wilderinkthe Associate Set Designer is Ross Edwards, the Associate Puppet Designer is Caroline Bowman,  the Costume Supervisor is Sabrina Cuniberto and the Props Supervisor is Ryan O’Conner.  

 

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.

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?

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).  

Life of Pi comes to Birmingham Hippodrome from Birmingham Hippodrome Monday 12 – Saturday 17 February 2024. Tickets can be booked at www.birminghamhippodrome.com or by calling 0844 338 5000*

 

 *0844 calls will cost you 4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

 

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

 

LIFE OF PI

 

CREATIVE TEAM

Yann Martel                                                                     Original Author                                             

Lolita Chakrabarti                                                       Adaptation                      

Max Webster                                                                  Director

Tim Hatley                                                                        Set & Costume Designer

Finn Caldwell                                                                 Puppet & Movement Director

Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell                                Puppet Designers

Andrzej Goulding                                                         Video Projection Designer

Tim Lutkin                                                                        Lighting Designer

Carolyn Downing                                                          Sound Designer

Andrew T Mackay                                                         Composer

Jack Bradley                                                                   Dramaturgy

Polly Jerrold                                                                    Casting Director

Leigh Toney                                                                     Associate Director

Scarlet Wilderink                                                         Associate Puppetry & Movement Director

Ross Edwards                                                               Associate Set Designer

Caroline Bowman                                                        Associate Puppet Designer

Sabrina Cuniberto                                                      Costume Supervisor

Ryan O’Conner                                                              Props Supervisor

                               

www.lifeofpionstage.com

 

 

SOCIAL MEDIA

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