Writer and director Lolita Chakrabarti picked up the prize for Best New Play at the prestigious Laurence Olivier theatre awards 2022 for her stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s Booker Prize-winning novel, Life of Pi.

The play, which has survived two stoppages caused by the pandemic, is currently being performed to packed houses at Wyndham’s Theatre in London’s West End.

It was nominated in nine categories, winning five of them, including Best Actor for Sri Lankan origin Hiran Abeysekera, who is on stage for the entire two-hour performance, playing Pi Patel, a 16-year-old who journeys across the Pacific Ocean for 227 days with a ferocious Royal Bengal tiger, Richard Parker. The tiger had come from a zoo in Pondicherry.

The seven brilliant puppeteers who manoeuvre the mock-up of the tiger — three are required at any one time to handle the animal’s head, heart and hind — were jointly named Best Supporting Actor, the first time this has happened in the history of the Oliver Awards.

Life of Pi, which has become a must see play for Indians managing to come to London, also won awards for Best Set Design and for Best Lighting Design.

Lolita is the sister of the high profile BBC TV presenter, Reeta Chakrabarti. Their parents emigrated from India. Their father worked in Birmingham as an orthopaedic surgeon. Like the Baftas, the Oliviers, which recognises the best in British theatre, was held “live” for the first time in three years at the Royal Albert Hall.

Lolita thanked Martel, who won the Booker in 2002, for giving her a free hand. The novel was also adapted into a film in 2012 which starred Suraj Sharma and won four Oscars.

Some months ago when Martel and Lolita discussed Life of Pi after press night at Wyndham’s Theatre, the author confessed he almost preferred the stage version.

As Lolita accepted the prize on Sunday night, she said the continued success of Life of Pi was a “testament to the story” created by Martel, describing it as an “absolute modern classic”.

“His graciousness in giving me the freedom to tell the story as I wanted, he said, ‘I don’t know about theatre, you do what you do and have the book’,” she said.

She added: “I think that understanding of other forms of artistry and his generosity has made the film what it was and the play what it is. It all comes down from his book really.”

Abeysekera admitted that taking on the role was initially “quite a scary proposition” as the book is so beloved, but said cast members knew they had “something special” after their first dress run.

In an emotional speech, Abeysekera, the show’s undoubted star, said he was “overwhelmed” to win Best Actor.

Normally, Asians are conspicuous by their absence at the Oliviers, which have yet to discover the concept of diversity.

Abeysekera paid tribute to his home country of Sri Lanka, which he said was going through a “tough time now... I think of you and wish I was there with you”.

Life of Pi represents British theatre at its best but it goes deeper than entertainment for its poses a fundamental question: is there a God? After watching the two-hour play, the audience is encouraged to believe that there is, although, to be sure, people are left to make up their own minds.

When the novel came out, Martel received a two paragraph note from the White House, which said: “My daughter and I just finished reading Life of Pi together. Both of us agreed we prefer the story with animals. It is a lovely book — an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling. Thank you.”

It was signed Barack Obama.