'Life of Pi': A Review

Taha Mandviwala in 'Life of Pi'

By Darlene Donloe 

Some plays stay with you long after you’ve left the theater. 

‘Life of Pi’ is one of them. 

It could be the story, the acting, the direction, the mesmerizing set, the costumes, the sound, the forward-moving direction, the unbelievably hypnotic puppetry, or one’s elevated imagination. Whatever it is, it makes this show a true winner!

Life of Pi is an unforgettable, epic tale of adventure and survival that addresses the lengths we’re willing to go to do both, leaving audiences to ponder the nature of reality and belief. 

After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a 16-year-old boy named Pi (Taha Mandviwala) survives on a lifeboat with four other companions, a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. All of the animals present are puppets. 

What happens next leads them on an unforgettable journey.

Told with jaw-dropping visuals, world-class, innovative puppetry, and exquisite stagecraft, the Broadway and West End sensation ‘Life of Pi’ creates a visually breathtaking voyage.

Mandviwala shines as Pi, delivering a vulnerable and resilient performance. 

All actors, whether in human form or as puppets, are outstanding. A round of applause for the actors who spend most of the play bent over to realistically portray the animals. KUDOS! 

The production’s use of visuals and puppetry creates a dreamlike world that’s both fantastical and emotionally resonant. 

‘Life of Pi’ is a magical and visually stunning show.

Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s best-selling novel (over 15 million copies sold) is a worldwide phenomenon and opened to critical acclaim on Broadway and the West End and is now captivating audiences around the globe. 

The set, design, lighting, and video projections transport the audience from India to the Pacific Ocean, creating a truly immersive experience. 

Max Webster directs the show, and the cast is led by Mandviwala, who is joined on stage by Oge Agulue, Jessica Angleskhan, Alan Ariano, Pragun Bhardwaj, Mahnaz Damania, Ben Durocher, Savidu Geevaratne, Shiloh Goodin, Anna Leigh Gortner, Austin Wong Harper, Aaron Haskell, Rishi Jaiswal, Toussaint JeanLouis, Mi Kang, Intae Kim, Sharayu Mahale, Sinclair Mitchell, Maya Rangulu, Betsy Rosen, Anna Vomacka, and Sorab Wadi. 

The animals in the show, all puppets, are designed by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell, the movement director. Between Barnes and Caldwell, the puppets astonishingly come to life as they prowl, leap, and roar with lifelike movement. 

Life of Pi won three Tony Awards® and the Olivier Award for Best Play.

Runtime: 2 hours and 10 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. 

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don't bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah), and E (excellent). 'Life of Pi' gets an E (excellent).

‘Life of Pi,” Ahmanson Theatre, 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, 8 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 2 and 8 p.m. Sat., 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sundays, through June 1, 2025, no performance Wednesday, May 14, added performance 2 p.m., Thurs., May 29, tickets begin at $40.25, 213 628-2772. 

Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, June 3-June 15, 7:30 p.m. Tues-Fri., 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sat., 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., through June 15, tickets start at $44.07, 714 556-2787, SCFTA.org