'Life of Pi' sets full Broadway cast

The Olivier Award-winning play, based on the same-named book, is transferring to New York from London's West End with multiple members of that original cast.

They're going on an overseas adventure! The Broadway premiere of Lolita Chakrabarti’s stage adaption of Life of Pi has set its full Broadway cast. Performances begin at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on March 9 ahead of a March 30 opening.

The Life of Pi Broadway cast includes multiple actors from the show's premiere production in London's West End. These include Hiran Abeysekera as Pi and Fred Davis and Scarlet Wilderink as part of the puppeteering team for Royal Bengal tiger Richard Parker. All three won Olivier Awards for their performances in London and now make their Broadway debuts.

The complete cast also includes Brian Thomas Abraham as Cook/Voice of Richard Parker, Rajesh Bose as Father, Avery Glymph as Father Martin/Russian Sailor/Rear Admiral Jackson, Mahira Kakkar as Nurse/Amma/Orange Juice, Kirstin Louie as Lulu Chen, Salma Qarnain as Mrs. Biology Kumar/Zaida Khan, Sathya Sridharan as Mamaji/Pandit-Ji, Daisuke Tsuji as Mr. Okamoto/Captain, and Sonya Venugopal as Rani.

Nikki Calonge, Rowan Ian Seamus Magee, Jonathan David Martin, Betsy Rosen, Celia Mei Rubin, and Andrew Wilson join Davis and Wilderink on the Richard Parker puppeteering team.

Additionally, Adi Dixit is the Pi alternate, and the cast also includes Mahnaz Damania, Jon Hoche, Usman Ali Mughal, Uma Paranjpe, and David Shih.

The creative team has also been set, joining director Max Webster. Life of Pi features set and costume design by Tim Hatley, puppetry and movement direction by Finn Caldwell, puppet design by Nick Barnes and Caldwell, video design by Andrzej Goulding, lighting design by Tim Lutkin, sound design by Carolyn Downing, original music by Andrew T Mackay, dramaturgy by Jack Bradley, and wig design by David Brian Brown.

What is Life of Pi about?

The Life of Pi play is based on the bestselling, award-winning book by Yann Martel. The title character, a teenage boy named Pi, gets shipwrecked and survives alongside only four wild animals. On the open sea, they battle for survival, but also form an unlikely alliance.

The show won the Olivier Award for Best New Play in 2022. Learn more about Life of Pi on Broadway.

Get Life of Pi tickets now.

Photo credit: Hiran Abeysekera in Life of Pi in London. (Photo by Johan Persson)