(5 / 5)

Spoiler – if I could give this production more than 5 stars, then I would. It has been a long time since I enjoyed and was so utterly transfixed by something as I was with Life of Pi.

Brought out in film form a few years ago, Life of Pi took Hollywood by storm with the interesting and unusual story of a boy who finds himself stranded on a boat, alone with a Tiger.

When I saw the film, I wasn’t as bowled over as everyone else seemed to be. My experience and reluctance was still in situ when I came to see Life of Pi but the promise of puppetry and somehow a boat on stage, made me want to see for myself.

Firstly – the performers were ah-mazing. The interaction and relationships between them was entirely believable, and if this wasn’t on a stage, you could easily believe the relationships that were performed. Each character was fully realised and even when they doubled up on characters, you forgot that you saw them as, say, the uncle beforehand. Costuming helped to some degree but the pure talent of the performers really sold it. The main character of Pi was hilarious and cheeky and such a likeable character. This made emotional parts of the story more intense with someone you like and want to look after. His cheekiness was everything a 17 year old boy would give and it pocketed itself in between the hard moments of turmoil.

The staging was magnificent – unlike anything I have seen before; the whole stage had points where the elements rose from nowhere, where Pi jumps through the stage shocking us, where it changes easily from a zoo, to a ship, to a boat, to a hospital room. Instead of painted set, the entire aesthetic was brought by light and projection – and this became innovative from typewriting style lettering to pin point the place and date, to a starry sky or fish swimming below the boat. This alone was immersive and transfixed me along with the narrative and performance.

And of course, the pièce de résistance, was the puppetry of the animals. From life size Zebras to small fish, the puppetry took on the same technique as debuted in War Horse – entirely believable, the little mannerisms and personalities of these animals came through with the flick of a tale or the twitch of an ear. The larger creatures featured the full bodies of puppeteers inside to help the movement and others helped with various maneuvering by others. But as amazing as these performers were, they were forgotten by the realness they brought across with movement of these puppets.

I will freely admit that I found myself in tears, not only at the narrative, but at the beauty of these puppets, as if they were real animals on stage. They were magnificent and entirely believable.

The less wholesome elements of the story, which features animals being eaten or blood and gore to some degree, is done extremely well and tastefully, using lighting, coloured fabric and ominous music to accompany. You cringe away as if it is real but part of you knows that it is only the well presented theatrics.

Life of Pi, whether you enjoyed the film or not, is one of the best things I have ever seen and is the ultimate must see in theatre. It is every part funny, emotional, awe-inspiring and beautiful. For a West End production, there is the gorgeous element of immersion with the beautiful stage design and the action is shocking and intense as the narrative is meant to be. This is a show I will never forget and have ever since, not stopped thinking about.

(5 / 5)

I heard on the Theatre grapevine about this show. Every word was good, if not amazing and therefore, I could not wait to see it.

Anyone who reads my reviews will know my love for the Royal Court and my opinion that they put on the most extraordinary of shows. They get better and better the more I go, but I really am not sure how they are going to top this one.

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy, is a brilliant production about being male and black with all its pros, cons, its comedy and utter tragedy. It highlights what you would not know if you were not part of that community and the unjust treatment given to general human beings. It looks at each character, their personal issues, past, present, future, the question of masculinity and masculinity as a black man and completely celebrates the community, through dance, music, literature, history.

Each performer is almost a principle character to highlight differences, similarities and to squash away stereotyping. We have the hard character who is angry at the world, the studious and book smart one, the shy one who has also struggled with whether they are black after being brought up in a white community, the queer man who still hides in the heterosexual shadows and so on. While quite simply laid out, when we get into their stories, we realise they have experienced things that we would never expect. Domestic violence, sexual abuse, physical abuse. This highlights how the characters are not just 1 dimensional. They have many layers.

The performers were amazing – with genuine chemistry, effortless performance and tongue and cheek fun, these men seemed genuine friends and as if we were watching in on a group of real people in ordinary life. Only when there are dance cut aways and theatrical elements, do we remember that this is a production.

The elements of dance and physical theatre was astounding. It felt just and as if it fit in, with everyone involved and doing it fluidly, precise and mesmerisingly. Not only did it add to this brilliant production but it heightened it as an astounding piece of theatre.

There is a wonderful balance between these hard hitting stories and absolute belly aching laughter. Some bypasses those not in the community, but the joy heard from others in the audience who it relates to laughing, calling out – there was a comradery and a community setting in just this audience alone. And there was something for everyone – something every person, race, class, age could relate to and therefore, no one felt like an outsider or alone.

For those not in the community, this is a huge learning experience. We get to know of things from the black community, both positive and negative, and some is extremely shocking and un-thought of. I felt more educated and more of an ally than ever before.

For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy is equal parts hilarious, joyful, painful and hurtful – it is an education for those in the black community and for those not. It is such an important piece of theatre for every. single. person.

Written by Pedro Leandro, Eddie Loodmer-Elliott and Evan Lordan

Directed by Evan Lordan

Produced by Conflicted Theatre Company and Clay Party

Fiji plays at Omnibus Theatre until 25 March. 

Fiji is a black comedy framed as a living room, this play is full of laughs and quirky moments from the off. The concept of Fiji is Sam (Pedro Leandro) and Nick (Eddie Loodmer-Elliott) met online only a short while ago, during the weekend they finally meet in person where it all spirals out as fast as lightening.

Sam’s destroyed his devices & told everyone he’s bought a one-way ticket to Fiji but instead he’s with Nick. The two feel that they have a deeply special relationship and plan to spend the rest of their lives together. However, for Sam that life will be very brief, he has asked Nick to kill and eat him, with a strong belief that Nick ingesting Sam will be the ultimate exchange of love, making their bond inseparable. 

From mundanity of cheap Spanish wine, an enormous lemon & sarcasm – their humour contrasts like an avalanche with what they have planned ahead. As individuals their human vulnerability and tenderness grips the audiences attention whilst grasping onto the concept of cannibalism. Coming together for this horrific purpose, both intensely relate on how internet dating can be poisonous within the fanatical world of perverse relationships.

As the true reason for the weekend becomes clear, you can’t but help become transfixed on how this weekend will end. Their frequent questions & answers sparks conversation by a tense countdown, which we directly visit during the final moments of the abrupt murder. These questions offer deep & reflective considerations about what has led to this shocking decision: does it stem from maternal issues, as scientific research, what will Nick’s ‘experiment’ disclose? And all the while the two men reassure each other that they want this to happen, each for their own personal reasons. 

This play is based on a real life incident in Germany. It interrogates what the rules would be in a situation like this: who gets to decide how it plays out, and what responsibilities are involved, both between participants and in their wider social circle? The discussion is remarkably balanced, as the characters reconcile the issues within their own instances, arguing the case for personal choice, whilst acknowledging there is a world outside where these actions are known to be wrong.

This is a well articulated production offering romance and laughter alongside repulsive horror, there’s really deep, dark & deadly thinking in the midsts that invite you into the world of the unknown.