Showing posts sorted by date for query Life of Pi. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Life of Pi. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Friday, 10 October 2025
ROYO Group Expands into Asia with Peaky Blinders and Rambert 100-Year Celebration
Global theatre producer ROYO Group has announced major new investment plans in Asia, led by its regional subsidiary RTS Entertainment.
The company will bring Rambert’s acclaimed production of Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby to China in spring 2026, celebrating Rambert’s 100th anniversary. Created by Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight and choreographed by Benoit Swan Pouffer, the show follows the Shelby family from the battlefields of WWI to post-war Birmingham, set to a live band performing music by Nick Cave, Radiohead, and Anna Calvi.
The partnership marks ROYO’s fifth major Chinese presentation in 18 months, following productions like Life of Pi and Murder on the Orient Express.
ROYO CEO Tom De Keyser confirmed the expansion of RTS’s Shanghai office, saying the group is committed to helping British producers reach global audiences.
Thursday, 9 October 2025
National Theatre Announces Exciting 2026 Season with New Productions in London and New York
The National Theatre has unveiled further details about its 2026 season, marking a bold next chapter in the vision of Co-Chief Executives Indhu Rubasingham and Kate Varah to make world-class theatre accessible to audiences everywhere.
Deputy Artistic Director Robert Hastie will lead two major productions in spring 2026. In London, he directs Nina Raine and Moses Raine’s new adaptation of Maxim Gorky’s Summerfolk in the Olivier Theatre, a sharp, satirical look at class and complacency. Across the Atlantic, Hastie’s acclaimed production of Hamlet will transfer to BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), the first show in a new partnership that will see National Theatre productions transfer to BAM’s Harvey Theater and National Theatre Live screenings hosted at BAM’s Rose Cinemas.
Alongside performances, the National Theatre’s Learning team will collaborate with BAM on its (Re) Centering Theater) programme, giving Brooklyn students the opportunity to create, develop, and perform new work inspired by Hamlet. A free exhibition at BAM’s Rudin Family Gallery will also explore the legacy of Hamlet at both BAM and the National Theatre.
This collaboration with BAM and The Shed strengthens the National Theatre’s long-standing relationship with the US, celebrating 60 years of international productions. Further details about upcoming projects with The Shed will be announced soon.
“It feels deeply fitting to bring Hamlet to BAM next spring, especially as we mark 60 years of staging productions in the US”
said Indhu Rubasingham, Director and Co-Chief Executive of the National Theatre.
Kate Varah, Executive Director and Co-Chief Executive, added:
“Our goal is simple yet bold- to make world-class theatre accessible to everyone, everywhere. Through new partnerships with BAM, The Shed, and the Educational Theatre Association, we’re reaching thousands of schools and streaming our productions into homes across the US. This is theatre without borders.”
National Theatre 2026 Productions
Olivier Theatre: Summerfolk
From 6 March to 29 April 2026, Robert Hastie directs a fresh adaptation of Maxim Gorky’s Summerfolk by Nina Raine (Consent) and Moses Raine (Donkey Heart). Set in 1905 Russia, it follows a group of privileged friends whose summer of indulgence masks a looming storm of social change. The creative team includes Peter McKintosh (set and costume), Paul Pyant (lighting), and Nicola T. Chang (composer).
Lyttelton Theatre: Les Liaisons Dangereuses
From 21 March to 6 June 2026, Marianne Elliott (Angels in America) returns to direct a powerful new revival of Christopher Hampton’s adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ classic novel. The cast includes Lesley Manville, Aidan Turner, Monica Barbaro, and Gabrielle Drake, in a dazzling exploration of love, manipulation, and power.
Dorfman Theatre: Man and Boy
From 30 January to 14 March 2026, Anthony Lau (The Crucible) makes his National Theatre debut with Terence Rattigan’s Man and Boy, starring Ben Daniels and Laurie Kynaston. Set in 1930s New York, this gripping tale of ambition and betrayal follows a financier facing ruin during the Great Depression.
Dorfman Theatre: The Authenticator
From 26 March to 9 May 2026, award-winning writer Winsome Pinnock (Leave Taking) reunites with director Miranda Cromwell (Death of a Salesman) for The Authenticator, a gothic psychological thriller starring Rakie Ayola, Sylvestra Le Touzel, and Cherrelle Skeete. Set in a mysterious country estate, it explores buried secrets, artistic legacy, and truth’s dark corners.
Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), New York: Hamlet
From 19 April to 17 May 2026, Hiran Abeysekera (Life of Pi) reprises his role as Hamlet in Robert Hastie’s acclaimed production at BAM’s Harvey Theater. This bold interpretation of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy launches the National Theatre’s new partnership with BAM, bringing British theatre excellence to New York audiences.
Tickets for all 2026 National Theatre productions go on general sale from 23 October 2025.
National Theatre 2026 season, National Theatre productions, National Theatre London, National Theatre New York, BAM Hamlet, Robert Hastie Hamlet, Nina Raine Summerfolk, Les Liaisons Dangereuses National Theatre, Marianne Elliott, Winsome Pinnock The Authenticator, Ben Daniels Man and Boy, Hiran Abeysekera Hamlet, Indhu Rubasingham, Kate Varah, National Theatre BAM partnership, British theatre in New York, National Theatre tickets, Olivier Theatre, Lyttelton Theatre, Dorfman Theatre, London theatre 2026
Wednesday, 4 October 2023
Life of Pi on Tour at the New Victoria Theatre Review: A Painful Story Vibrantly Brought to Life
Life of Pi (Tour)
New Victoria Theatre
★★★★★
Before last night I had no prior exposure to Life of Pi. I hadn't read Yann Martel's acclaimed novel or watched Ang Lee's award-winning film. Approaching the play with no preconceptions, I found it enchanting. While it may not resonate with everyone, I personally adored the captivating production by playwright Lolita Chakrabarti. It held my attention from the very beginning to the end of the performance. I found myself deeply engrossed in Pi's perspective on faith, humanity, survival, brutality, and mankind, and I even wished there hadn't been an interval as I was so enthralled.
The narrative revolves around Piscine "Pi" Patel, the son of a zookeeper in Pondicherry, who claims to have survived a shipwreck on a life-raft with a Bengal tiger as his companion.
Some readers might initially think this story isn't their cup of tea, but let me assure you that the magic lies in the simplicity of the stage design, the visual effects, and the lighting that interweaves the tale. The incredible collection of large puppets portraying the captive animals from the zoo adds to this magic.
The play centers around Pi, portrayed by Divesh Subaskaran in his impressive professional debut. Divesh truly shines in this role, immersing the audience in Pi's world. I was particularly impressed by his performance, seamlessly transitioning from a mischievous young man-boy to an overwrought, delusional individual grappling with the world's cruelty. He later revealed a kinder, gentler side, yearning to believe in the world of storytelling and escape the horrors of the boat's events. The two actors who questioned the young Pi about his experiences greatly complemented Divesh's portrayal, contributing to the unraveling of the story with their strong performances.
Credit must be given to the entire cast. The stage was always vibrant with energy, the performers transforming it in seconds as Pi recalled flashbacks of his voyage. The mastery of the remarkable puppeteers, animating butterflies, shoals of fish, a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and the Bengal tiger, was truly commendable. Special acknowledgment goes to those who skillfully maneuvered the Bengal Tiger, creating a sense of predatory readiness on the boat.
For me, the imaginative world that offers solace from the world's atrocities, coupled with the magical animals brought to life through outstanding puppetry, are the true stars of this show. This made the theatrical event a thoroughly enjoyable experience for everyone.
Reviewed on Tuesday 3rd October 2023 by Glenys Balchin
{AD PR Invite- tickets gifted in exchange for honest review}
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