TOUR CASTING CONFIRMED FOR THE MULTI-OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING WEST END PRODUCTION OF LIFE OF PI WHICH VISITS THE LOWRY, SALFORD IN DECEMBER 2023
Download Photographs of the original West End and Broadway Productions HERE
Announcement and touring cast headshots HERE
– HAVING OPENED ON BROADWAY THIS SPRING, THE SHOW IS NOW NOMINATED FOR FIVE TONY AWARDS
– INTRODUCING DIVESH SUBASKARAN WHO LEADS THE COMPANY AS ‘PI’
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 this August 2023, before coming to The Lowry, Salford from 5th December 2023 to 6th January 2024, Divesh 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.
‘Breath-taking. It will make you believe in the power of theatre. Roar it out: This is a hit’ The Times
Following its Sheffield engagement, the tour will then continue to Milton Keynes Theatre; Norwich Theatre Royal; Woking, New Victoria Theatre; Southend Cliffs Pavilion; Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff; Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury; Alhambra Theatre, Bradford; Chichester Festival Theatre; The Lowry, Salford; Leeds Grand Theatre; Bristol Hippodrome; Newcastle Theatre Royal; Birmingham Hippodrome; Grand Opera House; Belfast, Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin; Theatre Royal Plymouth; Curve Leicester; Churchill Theatre, Bromley; Hull New Theatre; Derngate Theatre, Northampton; Coventry Belgrade; Nottingham Theatre Royal; Wolverhampton Grand Theatre; Liverpool Empire; Severn Theatre Shrewsbury; Mayflower Theatre, Southampton; Hall For Cornwall, Truro; Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham; Glasgow Theatre Royal; and finally the Edinburgh Festival Theatre in June 2024.
‘IT WILL MAKE YOU BELIEVE IN THEATRE. A TRIUMPH.’ SUNDAY TIMES
Life of Pi, which concluded its West End run on 15th 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 4th December 2022 to 29th January 2023, followed by its Broadway premiere at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater where it opened on 9th 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 PUPPETRY IS OUT OF THIS WORLD’ DAILY MAIL
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 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.
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).
‘EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION IS AMAZING.’ OBSERVER
Life of Pi is produced by Simon Friend in association with Playing Field and Tulchin/Bartner.
Life of Pi at The Lowry, Salford from 5 December 2023 – 6 January 2024. For more information and tickets visit www.thelowry.com.
-ENDS-
For more information, images, or to arrange interviews please contact Kate Goerner at kate.goerner@thelowry.com. Images can also be downloaded from www.flickr.com
Listing Information:
The Lowry, Salford
Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ
5 December 2023 – 6 January 2024
Website: www.thelowry.com
NOTES TO EDITORS
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