This superbly entertaining story-telling, live-on stage production, of one of my favourite books THE LIFE OF PI , written by Yann Martel. Outstanding puppetry, with a zoo full of incredible animals, brought vividly to life, and you almost expect the animals to breath. As expected the Bengal Tiger (Richard Parker) is magnificent. Also very memorable, are the butterlies and the flying fish, plus the Giraffe.
YES the original novel was all fiction. Playwright Lolita Chakrabarti has transformed the best-selling novel, into this unique Olivier Award-winning West-End stage adaptation. Very Highly Recommended.
The cinematography techniques used for capturing the live-on-stage visual spectacle are just magnificent, as they are combined with the use of a full outside broadcast truck with full HD edit suite. These live-to-screen events are NOT the one camera pointing at the centre of the stage from the front row of seats.
A minimum of five HD video cameras are used, and of course usually including steady-cams and boom-mounted cameras. However this production also uses the famous “Busby Berkeley” top shot technique, with one HD video camera permanently located overhead, high above the stage area, a unique drone-camera-style aerial-viewpoint, that the seated theatre audience can never experience.
Must only be described as the best seat in the house, as you are apparently located on the stage within one metre of each and every actor. Because of the intimate closeness you achieve when experiencing each play with NTlive – their full theatrical production is delivered in a manner so much better, than delivered to the audience seated in the theatre.
Scenic design / set design / sound design plus staging – wow 5/5 wow – as required the lifeboat rises from the stage floor, and is on a rotor that with the creative ocean audio/video/visual effects, all help to create the incredible magic of being on a lifeboat for 227 days. You will always remember that bananas float, and always remember the hyeena, black and white, orange juice, and buckingham.
The Wyndham’s Theatre London, is a Proscenium Arch Theatre, and we make theatre via removing some of the front rows of seats, a large purpose-built thrust stage was constructed to allow the live-on-stage magic of Life Of Pi. The thrust stage has cast entry/exit via the wings and has two staircases for the cast to exit into the audience.
Always good to see the London West-End audience deliberately wearing their covid-19 face masks, to try to protect the cast from catching the latest current covid-19 virus from the audience. Please remember that the Covid-19 virus continues to be the 2023 NUMBER THREE cause of death for Australians.
STARRING – Nuwan Hugh Perera
DIRECTED BY Max Webster
PLAYRWRIGHT – Lolita Chakrabarti
INFO – https://sharmillfilms.com.au/national-theatre-live/life-of-pi/
FAQ – https://lifeofpi.ntlive.com/
PRODUCTION – https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/life-of-pi/
VIDEO – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXgsoLmB1PA&
NT live: THE LIFE OF PI will be screening in selected cinemas around Australia from 31st March 2023. Running Time of 125 minutes, including the 20 minute interval – an interval that at the 14th minute then provides a unique behind the scenes video about the production, lasting for around six minutes.
