Anybody who has either read Life of Pi or seen the film will likely be fascinated to know quite how the modern fable would work on the stage.
The story tells of Piscine 'Pi' Patel - an Indian son of a zookeeper who finds himself as the sole survivor of a devastating shipwreck - floating adrift on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean.
But he is not alone - the teenager is accompanied by a mother orangutan, a rabid hyena, a debilitated zebra and a fully-grown adult Bengal tiger by the name of Richard Parker.
The emotionally charged drama is embarking on its maiden voyage on tour around the country, having been adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti in 2019 in Sheffield, before debuting on the West End in 2021.
The logistics of this adaptation were always going to be challenging - transforming the confines of a theatre stage into the wide ocean itself is likely a stretch before you even get to the small matter of the tiger.
But all of these challenges were risen to in truly stunning fashion.
Taking a leaf out of the West End smash the Lion King's book, the animals are masterfully created through puppetry - with each and every creature beautifully crafted.
The movement of Richard Parker (the tiger) in particular is breathtaking - lifelike, majestic and show-stealing.
The lead role of Pi was expertly carried by newcomer Divesh Subaskaran (not pictured), who captivated the audience by steering them through every wave of emotion.
His performance is made all the more impressive by the fact that this is his first professional casting.
Just before the interval, a technical fault drew the performance to a very brief halt, but with the issue resolved in less than three minutes, it was easily forgiven and forgotten.
Running at the Theatre Royal for the rest of the week, Life of Pi takes its audience on a captivating and deeply spiritual voyage which leaves you emotionally drained and truly stunned.
Life of Pi runs at Norwich Theatre Royal until Saturday, September 30.
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