If you could share a desert island (or boat) with one person, who would it be? I bet the answer to that question wouldn’t be a Bengal Tiger. ‘Life Of Pi’ has sailed its way into Mayflower Theatre, and I for one was very excited to see this multi-award winning play. Holding five Oliviers and three Tonys, this play has already put itself up there as one of the big, must-see plays in the theatre world. I’m sure a lot of people have heard of ‘Life Of Pi’, most likely from the 2012 film of the same name. However this isn’t just a stage adaptation of the movie, it’s a stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s novel. So we know that Martel’s story translates well onto the big screen, but will it translate well onto the stage? I think playwright Lolita Chakrabati has found the sweet spot between fantasy and reality perfectly in telling this story live.

If you’re unaware of the story, to keep the sense of mystery and to avoid spoilers, it follows a young boy – ‘Pi’ – and his story of when he gets stranded at sea with certain animals. Now if you’ve seen the movie, you will also be aware that it heavily relies on the use of CGI when it comes to the animals (particularly the tiger). Obviously this is a big problem when trying to bring a story to life on stage, and if anyone is thinking, no they didn’t use real animals. Instead they used puppets, and these puppets are insanely impressive. Other shows such as ‘The Lion King’ and ‘War Horse’ use similar puppetry techniques, and ‘Life Of Pi’ has followed in their footsteps superbly.

The whole cast has been directed and choreographed to perfection.

Without the puppets, I don’t think this show would be anywhere near as impressive as it is. The puppets make the show, but the cast have an integral role in all of this. Heading the cast tonight was Adwitha Arumugam as ‘Pi’, making ‘Pi’ a female character for the night. I love it when shows have the ability to do this with characters, especially leading ones. It’s something that throws you off to begin with, but then as it plays on you understand it. Adwitha was fantastic either way. She had a great bond with the puppets and used her movement brilliantly. In fact the whole cast has been directed and choreographed to perfection. There’s so much of this play that relies heavily on the movement of set or discrete character pieces; Max Webster (director) and Finn Caldwell (puppetry & movement director) have nailed this here! Hats off to the all of the cast because discrete movements that the story depends on, are so much harder and more important than the ability to learn a monologue in my opinion.

I’ve already briefly mentioned the puppets which were phenomenal, but the set was also one that you’d expect to see win awards (which it has!). The set was stunning. It was clever, intricate, big, and beautiful. In a second you could be transported from Mexico, to the ocean, to India – and it was seamless. This was definitely aided by the impressive lighting set up as well however. I’ve been to a few shows recently that have used digital effects, which do work but are nowhere near as effective as physical ones. The lighting and projections of when it was raining/thundering were particularly impressive – and just the way the depicted the ocean really really worked.

There was one moment where the ‘big ship’ was travelling the world and to show the route of this, there was a projected mini map showing its direction with a physical small steam boat that was puppeteered across the stage. The red laser lighting showing its ‘path’ as it continued its way across the stage was a great touch. This is something so simple and quick, but I just loved it! 

If you’re a fan of a hearty, thought-provoking story – then this play is for you.

Not only was the puppeteering of the puppets amazing, I think it was the overall design of them which was something abstract and different to what has previously been seen on stage. They are pieces of art. The tiger, the orangutan, the hyena, and the zebra. All incredible. The music was played through a soundtrack and I think this is one of the only times that I think it didn’t need a live band/orchestra. It would’ve been overkill, and the soundtrack did its job perfectly. 

I had actually never seen the movie before tonight so was going in with completely fresh mind and not really sure what to expect. The story was brilliant. A little bit slow at times I must admit, but come the second act, that’s where things really start to get exciting. I didn’t get lost once during the show, but I do wish that they shuffled a couple of bits on a little bit quicker. Having said this however, I think this is more just the nature of how plays work. If you were a fan of the movie or book and haven’t seen ‘Life Of Pi’ yet, you’re definitely missing out! Likewise if you’re a fan of a hearty, thought-provoking story – then this play is also for you. ‘Life Of Pi’ is at Mayflower theatre until the 18th May before continuing on its UK tour, and if you’re around and fancy being impressed, go give it a watch. I wish all the cast and crew the best of luck going forward, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see them with some more silverware soon. 

So what noise does that car make? ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ has flown into Southampton with its brand new musical production. This is a musical. That might sound like a blazingly obvious statement, but what I mean by that is that ‘Chitty’ is the exact image you see in your head when you think of the word ‘musical’. Not necessarily the car, but the high production values in set, effects, music; the list goes on. It’s textbook. I’m sure that the majority of people will be aware of the story of ‘Chitty’ from Dick Van Dyke’s 1968 film of the same name. If you don’t know the story, you more than definitely have either seen the iconic car or heard the iconic song (yep, the one that gets stuck in your head for days on end). This musical adaptation follows the same story but it feels so much more exciting. Director, Thom Southerland, has nailed bringing this family classic to life – by making it for the whole family but not in a cheesy way.

It could have been very easy to slip into the panto-type vibe with this adaptation. There were still times when it felt panto-esc but that didn’t make it feel cheap or any less impressive. The dialogue is clearly meant for both an adult audience and family audience. It’s littered with innuendos and ‘adult jokes’, and it’s just brilliant. There were actually moments where I was thinking, is this too far for an audience with children? But I don’t think it was. They were on a tightrope with it, but I think that’s what made it so great. Compared to other recent classic movie adaptations, it would have also been extremely easy for them to strip the production value right back to a smaller set, and rely heavily on the use of projections/screens. ‘Chitty’ demonstrated that classic is still the best. Thinking back, I don’t think there were any projections or screens really, just real set pieces and physical effects. You can’t go wrong, and they certainly didn’t.

Seriously impressive, it’s like real magic on stage.

The cast was also what you’d expect from a big musical; grand and extremely energetic. Heading the cast as ‘Caracticus Potts’ was the brilliant Adam Garcia. Dick Van Dyke eat your heart out because I think ‘Caracticus’ now belongs to Adam. The singing was truly scrumptious (yes I went there), and his dance and comedic timing was also fantastic. In fact the whole cast’s comedic timing and liveliness was spot on. The children in the cast also need a special shoutout because they were all incredibly professional and super talented. Having said this however, for me the show was stolen by four cast members in particular. Martin Callaghan and Jenny Gayner as the ‘Baron & Baroness’ were flawless. They were stupidly funny, and the fourth wall breaks and innuendos were amazing. Likewise, Adam Stafford and Michael Joseph as ‘Boris & Goran’ were exactly the same. Funny doesn’t begin to scratch the surface. 

Now for the set. All I can say is thank you and well done. I’m so glad that what we got was real pieces of set and an actual flying car! (Well if you didn’t know that ‘Chitty’ was a flying car by now). I mean just imagine if they’d gotten rid of the car and rather opted for a projection instead… 

Seeing all of Caractacus Potts’ inventions actually as inventions to seeing a small remote controlled version of Chitty or a real child catcher trap – the whole thing was very impressive. The lighting was also fantastic. It matched every scene perfectly, and I always like when the light helps tell the story. This again is what happens here. The attention to detail was great and I think everything to do with the design was perfect. Bravo!

Of course we can’t do a review of a musical about a flying car, without mentioning the proverbial elephant in the room. Yes a full sized ‘Chitty’ actually did both inflate and fly on stage. And yes it was also breathtaking. It’s the moment the whole audience is waiting for, and it doesn’t disappoint. With things like this, I always try and look into how it is being done and I was fooled for a while. When the car eventually did a full 360, that’s when I was blown away. Seriously impressive, it’s like real magic on stage. In the interval, I know myself and a few others were thinking, “is it going to fly out into the audience?” Unfortunately it doesn’t (spoilers again apologies), but that doesn’t take away from just how nuts it is seeing a funny looking car full of people flying on stage.

This is a true feel-good musical that is meant for the whole family.

The music was again what you’d expect from a major musical. By now we know that I love live music, and tonights live orchestra was outstanding. They played all the famous songs that we know and love: ‘Hushabye Mountain’, ‘Me Ol’ Bamboo’, and of course ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’. As well as just playing the songs, the almost played a full score for pretty much all of the dialogue throughout the night as well. I know I’ll be going to sleep for the next few nights with that title song stuck in my head! 

Overall, as of recent, classic film to theatre adaptations have been (dare I say) lacklustre. So understandably, I was a little bit worried coming into this one. I cannot tell you how happy I am to say that I was worried about nothing. To me it just proves the saying, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Production was clearly at the top of the priorities list for this show, and you can definitely see that. I do also love how the show didn’t feel dated. It’s based on a story from 1968, that has certain themes that were also okay in 1968. The comedy used to get around this was faultless. ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ is a true feel-good musical that is meant for the whole family. If you were looking to take a flight with ‘Chitty’, they’re at Mayflower Theatre until May 12th before continuing on their UK Tour. I wish the whole cast, crew, and company the best of luck and success going forward. 

What would you say is the best way to do a book to theatre adaptation? Well I think ‘Tess’ by Ockham’s Razor could be the answer to that question. On offer at New Theatre Royal Portsmouth at the moment is ‘Tess’ by Ockham’s Razor, and all I can really say is wow! This is an adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s classic novel, ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’. It’s a story that has already been adapted to the screen, and to be honest I wasn’t quite sure how it would transfer to the stage. I could vision it being performed as a standard play, but could I vision it as a mixture of contemporary circus and theatre? My answer should have absolutely been yes! Alex Harvey and Charlotte Mooney have adapted and directed this masterpiece to perfection. Along with producer Alison King, a fantasy vision was seen – and they have managed to bring that vision to life. 

This show showcases the storytelling ability of dance, circus, and movement; as well as the athleticism and range of talent its performers have. The story is one that still has major relevance in today’s society with its incredibly nuanced evocation of female relationships, sexual desires, consent, privilege, and poverty. In this particular adaptation, it is all told as a flashback through Tess herself as a narrator. She is the only character with dialogue, the rest of the cast (including ‘Memory Tess’) tell their part of the story through the incredibly energetic and powerful nature of circus and body movement. I just love this! It’s such a creative way of showing the power, loss and and endurance of the story – as we see how the performers bodies react with the extreme strength and physicality of circus. It seems like subliminal messaging at its finest almost. 

Just stunning.

There are only seven in the cast but they have to be seven of the most talented performers I have seen. All of them are so strong and powerful, you get hooked on their every movement and emotion. These aren’t just performers, they’re athletes. I can guarantee that you will feel a wide range of emotions whilst watching this show. There were many times I was audibly laughing, and there were times when you could hear a pin drop in the auditorium. Just stunning. Heading the cast was Hanora Kamen as ‘Tess Durbeyfield’, and her narration was spot on. She wasn’t only telling the story, but recalling speech in different accents as the cast was performing the relevant flashback. In fact there were many times when the cast would be performing something different to what Kamen would be narrating, and you would be consuming two different things at once – but it didn’t feel difficult. 

Kamen’s partner in crime was Lila Naruse as ‘Tess Durbeyfield’ but the ‘memory’ version. These two were so good together that you would actually forget that you were watching/listening to two different people. The trio of girls was Lauren Jamieson, Victoria Skillen, and Shannon Kate Platt. The connection that these three share is phenomenal, and their comedic moments were fantastic. ‘Alec D’Urberville’ was played by Joshua Fraser who’s ring routine won’t leave my mind anytime soon; and ‘Angel Clare’ was played by Nat Wittingham who’s performance was beautifully powerful. The strength, commitment, and attention to detail of this cast is fantastic and certainly doesn’t go unnoticed. The standing ovation tonight only proved that – Bravo!  

The set was actually incredibly intricate, whilst also being very stripped back. It was basically just lots of wood, rope, and materials – that when placed together with the dynamic movements from the cast, created a piece of innovative theatre. The cast actually end up building all of the set and there is always so much going on, that it feels like incredibly organised chaos. One thing that sticks in my mind as extremely effective was the way in which they portrayed Tess’ horse, and the way they would walk on the two planks whilst staying in place. It was new, it was fresh, and I loved it! The lighting and projection was also simple but added the perfect amount of ambience or warmth/cold when it needed to. Visually gorgeous.

I still can’t get over how beautiful and impressive the whole thing was.

The music was matched perfectly to the show, but sometimes was very repetitive in all honesty. It was only a soundtrack that was being played, but as a friend rightly said, if it was a live band it probably would’ve taken away from the show because of how much was going on. In fact there were times where the music was too loud which just overloaded the senses. I think what really makes this show is all of the above mixed with the brilliant choreography. Choreographer, Nathan Johnston, cannot be credited enough as without his work, I don’t think the show works. One piece of movement that gets revisited multiple times, forwards and in reverse (if you know you know), is the sequence of ‘Tess’ and ‘Angel’ when they make their way along the trail to the farm. The movement of the set and cast had to be inch perfect, both in timing and spacing, and that’s exactly what it was. Literally mesmerising! 

Overall, ‘Tess’ is an incredibly impressive spectacle. It’s something new and exciting, and I’m interested to see what Ockham’s Razor will produce next. The story was easily followable, and the way in which it’s told is beautifully powerful and physical. Mixing contemporary circus into theatre adaptations should now be a benchmark to hit I think. I still can’t get over how beautiful and impressive the whole thing was. Whatever part of theatre you’re into, I think this is a show that you should definitely see if you’re lucky enough to get the chance. The cast are superb and the production as a whole will be unlike anything you’ve quite seen. ‘Tess’ is touring until June this year before further dates for spring 2025 are announced. I wish everybody involved the best of luck going forward, I know I’m already looking at when I can come and see this again.