The Jungle Book

Jungle Book is a classic of family theatre. Its enjoyable story is carried along by its lively party score. The cast, featuring the excellent Samuel Hargreaves as Mowgli, tells us a classic story with the aid of magical props, superb scenery and new toe-tapping songs. This, the story we love, told in a whole new way.

The story is based on the classic book, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, which was first published in the UK in 1894. Kipling had only lived in the Indian Jungle in his early childhood, which shocked his readers because of his fantastic details. The show uses ideas and plots from its source based around the character of Mowgli and his life as a man cub brought up by wolves. The show tells a story of hope, family and fun which really speaks out to its young audience, like the book. The songs are good, if not underused. Jungle Law is properly the best in the whole show, performed wonderfully by Rob Hughes as Baloo the Bear.

Samuel Hargreaves leads the cast as Mowgli with a strong, character driven performance. He performs the role well, though occasionally going over the top. His co-stars really work well together doing the scenes with big fights or tender dialogue. Each member has a great stage presence, thanks to their amazing designed costumes and puppets, which they control and use wonderfully.

The sets are wonderfully simple. A huge jungle backdrop of leaves and branches hold the stage up, while in the foreground two large stage blocks become rocks and hills for the animals to climb over. And for a scene change? The actors seem to build the set around them as the jungle moves from part to part with just a short movement of the blocks, or an added tent to make a human camp.

The writing and the production team have come together to produce a fantastic show. A terrific night at the theatre, very well done