Thinking about taking the kids to see a West End show this half-term? Seeing the Life of Pi theatre show is an experience! See what BritMum’s Roni Dutta, her son and his friend thought in our review of the show.
What’s Life of Pi about?
It’s the story of a young boy called Pi, the son of a zookeeper in Pondicherry, India who sets sail for Canada with his family and their animals including a hyena, orangutang and Royal Bengal Tiger. Pi gets lost at sea when the vessel carrying them sinks during a storm. As the only survivor, Pi is asked to tell his version of the events. His fantastical narrative about surviving at sea with barely any supplies on a lifeboat with a man-eating tiger forms the basis of the play.
Who would enjoy the Life of Pi theatre show?
The play works for both children and adult audiences. In fact, it was nice for me to see something with children, that’s not solely aimed at children. The narrative has plenty of themes and pathos for adults to contemplate but it’s the puppets (and agile puppeteers) that really steal the show. Life of Pi with puppets is an amazing spectacle that’s magical and dramatic. Some of the puppets are controlled by up to 3 or 4 people and are astonishingly lifelike.
What age is it suitable for?
Children of all ages will enjoy the puppetry, set design and costumes. There’s the tiniest hint of inappropriate language and a touch of gore, so probably not ideal for very young kids. To really get something out of the story other than sheer spectacle I would suggest ages 8 plus.
I took along two boys aged 9 and 11 who, like most children that age are used to having their entertainment delivered in short 5-minute bursts online, so I was a bit apprehensive about whether a two-hour-long stage show with an unfamiliar and fairly complex narrative that went on past their usual bedtimes would present a challenge. Happily, it did not. They were both gripped from the start to finish.
They marvelled at the clever stage set which switches smoothly from being a sparse hospital ward to a small lifeboat adrift on choppy seas. They were wowed by the dexterity of the puppeteers who deftly move around the stage manipulating the various animals.
The boys may not have caught some of the more subtle themes of the story surrounding religion and faith, and at times the actors’ voices were disappointingly drowned out by sound effects, but they certainly understood enough to be completely drawn into the story.
Will kids like Life of Pi theatre show?
Our young reviewers were really enthusiastic, talking about the show and the skill of the actors during intermission. It was 2 thumbs-up from them!
“It was amazing! You don’t even notice the people doing the puppets when they’re on stage. I liked watching them do the animal noises.”
Elias, age 11
“Epic! I liked it when Pi jumped into the water and disappeared. Then popped up in another place a few seconds later – just like he had been swimming underwater. There must have been a mattress or something underneath the stage.”
Arun, age 9
Where to sit at Life of Pi at Wyndham Theatre, London
The theatre itself is not too large so we reckon you would have a good view from most seats. That said, we were in the Royal Circle (the first mezzanine) at the front and thought we had the best view: From there we had a slightly higher vantage point so could see a bit more of the puppets and how the puppeteers moved within them. There are booster seats for shorter children.
Top tip
Take along some binoculars so you can get a look at the intricate puppets up close. We loved looking at the meerkats at the back of the stage.
For tickets and more information visit
https://www.lifeofpionstage.com/
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About Ronita Dutta
Former BritMums Brilliance in Blogging judge and award-winning freelance journalist with over 20 years experience producing engaging content for clients including BBC Studios, The Independent and Penguin. She's written on a diverse range of subjects from health and beauty to parenting, education, psychology and even the weather. Daughter of Bengali immigrants, Ronita was born and bred in London where she and her son can often be found building endless Lego creations.