Casting has been announced for the Olivier-Award winning production Life of Pi, which visits Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre from 17 – 21 October on its first-ever tour of the UK and Ireland.
The stage adaption stars Divesh Subaskaran in his professional debut as the central role of Pi, alongside an extraordinary life-size puppeteered Bengal Tiger.
Divesh will be 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 and Akash Heer will perform 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, and Peter Twose as Tiger Head/Voice of Richard Parker/Cook/Father Martin.
Based on Yann Martel’s best-selling novel, 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?
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.
Life of Pi is produced by Simon Friend in association with Playing Field and Tulchin/Bartner, and is directed by Max Webster. Set and Costume Designer is Tim Hatley, the Puppet Designers are Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, and 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 Wilderink, the 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.
Tickets for the multi-award-winning show are on sale at Wales Millennium Centre now: https://www.wmc.org.uk/en/whats-on/2023/life-of-pi
