Puppetry magic behind Life of Pi in Abu Dhabi

The award-winning show is coming to the Etihad Arena for a three-day run

Two years after The Lion King dazzled Abu Dhabi audiences, life-like animal puppets are taking over the stage at Etihad Arena once more with Life of Pi. The award-winning production's three-day run begins on Friday.

Based on Yann Martel's beloved 2001 novel, this production brings to life the survival story of a young boy named Pi and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Based on a short snippet shown to the media on Thursday, audiences are in for a sensory spectacle combining intricate puppetry, expert craftsmanship and powerful storytelling.

The stage adaptation first launched in 2019, created by British actress and writer Lolita Chakrabarti, before it was transferred to the West End in 2021, where it scooped up five Olivier Awards, including Best New Play, Best Actor and the Best Actor in a Supporting Role given to the puppeteers who played the tiger. One of them, Tom Larkin, is suiting back up as part of the Abu Dhabi production.

Watching the preview, it became instantly clear that the play’s strength lies in its stunning puppetry. Some of the animals portrayed onstage include a zebra, a hyena and an orangutan, with most being operated by two or three people at once. There's a certain pace and fluidity to the puppeteers' movements that allows for a seamless watch. The puppets aren't mere props, but fully realised characters that help bring the story's emotional core to life.

The tiger is expertly manipulated by three puppeteers, who crawl, crouch and bend their bodies to mimic the flow of the big cat. The dedication is palpable, as the puppeteers also produce the animal sounds by breathing, growling and hissing their way through the stage.

Each puppeteer controls different aspects of Richard Parker’s movements – one handles the head, another the body and forelegs (or the heart), and the third, the tail and hind legs. Together, they act as a single unit, moving in sync to make the tiger appear as if it has thoughts, emotions and instincts of its own.

Co-ordination and chemistry are key here, says Aizah Khan, who alternates between the heart and the hind for the Abu Dhabi show.

“Before we come on stage, the three of us would come together, close our eyes and do some breath work – kind of like a mini tiger meditation. We'll breathe and create sounds without speaking and that just comes to life when we're in the puppet,” she explains to The National.

“While on stage, we communicate through breaths, through little sounds and inclinations to adjust accordingly. The more time that you spend working together, you just learn more about each other's way of being.”

Olivier Award-winner Larkin speaks to the role's great physical demands too, saying: “We do a lot of rehab in between shows. We do quite a rigorous warm up as well. It's probably the most rigorous warm up to a show and the most physical show that I've been in.”

He also notes the challenge of making the tiger noises as realistic as possible.

“I was a bit nervous that they would have quite a negative effect on our vocal cords, but we seem to be fine,” Larkin quips. “I've had a lot of fun making the noises for this show. There's so many animals we do, from the hyena to the zebra.”

“It's been a lot of fun walking through Hyde Park in London, doing crazy noises with my ashamed girlfriend next to me, telling me to shut up,” he says with a chuckle.

The puppetry, combined with the other technical aspects on stage such as the set and the sound, truly create a visceral experience in the theatre. If the awards are anything to go by, the Abu Dhabi show is set to transport audiences into a masterful retelling of Life of Pi, which explores themes of survival, spirituality and the search for meaning.

Life of Pi runs at the Etihad Arena from Friday to Sunday