Life of Pi Star Hiran Abeysekera on Moving to Broadway

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Hiran Abeysekera has one question about his upcoming move to New York City. “What should I expect?”

It’s understandable that he’d be curious. While the actor won raves—not to mention an Olivier Award—for his role as Pi Patel in the hit play Life of Pi, he’s never been on Broadway before, and when previews of the production begin March 9 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, it’ll be an entirely new audience taking in the fantastical story based on Yann Martel’s novel.

“Are American audiences that different from the ones in the UK,” he asks. “It’s a universal story and a human story, and it runs so deep that I think people anywhere can feel a connection to it and be moved. I hope that Broadway audiences feel it as much as London audiences did.”

It seems like a safe bet. After all, the West End production was awarded five Oliviers in total, including one for Best New Play. And beyond the accolades, the actor stresses that the story—in broad stokes, about a young man’s adventure alongside a tiger—hold universal appeal. “This story will always be important. For one, it’s about survival and a conversation with the deepest, darkest part of you. We have so many distractions in life, but eventually everyone has to face the tiger within.”

As for what Abeysekera has to face, he seems most anxious about meeting new cast members joining the play for its Broadway run. “I’m very excited, but I do feel a bit daunted as well,” he says. “I don’t know much of the Broadway cast, so I’m a bit nervous about meeting them. But I’m looking forward to that, and also to America. Broadway is where everybody wants to be, so this is a real dream come true. There’s so much going on, and there are no easy answers, but above all I just can’t wait to get there.”

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