When hearing of the stage adaptation of Yann Martel's, The Life of Pi, I conjured up a pseudo, Bill Bailey style stand-up monologue.

"So there's this bloke, in a boat, on the ocean, with a tiger, for like days on end. What's all that about then?"

Images by Johan Persson

I am not one of the many millions who have read Martel's 2001 book, nor have I seen the 2012 feature film.

I have however now been able to get along to The Life of Pi, which plays at the Wyndhams Theatre, and can least start to answer the question.

It is 1976 and 16-year-old, Pi is leaving India for Canada with his family and their zoo menagerie.

They are fleeing the ever-prevalent violence Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's countrywide state of emergency

The cargo ship sinks in a storm with all hands and animals, except for Pi, a hyena, zebra and orang-utan along with the Royal Bengal tiger whose name is Richard Parker (the name of the hunter who shot his mother).

There follows a life and death, 'dog-eat-dog', struggle for survival with Pi and the tiger as sole survivors.

Pi must come to terms with loss of those he loved, confront his innermost fears and rationalise what it takes to stay alive.

The physical struggle is, of course, a parable of his struggle with truth, religious principle, and the moral fabric of his life.

As such The Life of Pi presents a fantastical allegory of a journey but one that, in theatrical form, could so easily have fallen short.

As a book, The Life of Pi would rely on us, the reader, to do much of the 'heavy lifting', by taking Martel's words and entering Pi's mind. We will also create his world on the lifeboat with Richard Parker.

That this production of The Life of Pi does all this for us is a gloriously captivating achievement, that tosses our emotions in tandem with Pi's ocean encapsulated challenges.

To pull this off, a relatively simple, seemingly sparse set is continually, seamlessly transformed using stunningly imaginative stage mechanics and digital effects.

Then there are the astonishing portrayal of the animals and fish, created by Nick Barnes Puppets, and the hugely talented team of puppeteers that bring them to life.

And finally, Pi played by Raj Ghatak at my performance (or Nuwan Hugh Perera), provides us with an acting masterpiece.

His portrayal of a naïve and carefree innocent tossed into a world of trauma and turmoil is unforgettable.

The Life of Pi takes its audience on a similar journey of discovery. So many questions along the way and not always a right or wrong answer.

Useful links

​ www.lifeofpionstage.com