“abounding in humour and high jinks that will entertain everyone”
By longstanding tradition, Theatre by the Lake (TBTL) have begun their winter production with a firm favourite with more than a flavour of the exotic. It is a tale of belonging and finding meaning in who you are – a journey that is perilous for Mowgli, the hero of the story.
Rudyard Kipling may be a writer deeply invested in the British colonial past, but The Jungle Book has remained a firm favourite through the original delightful Disney film and various remakes along the way. For adults, the books are still read though possibly not as much as they were more than one hundred years ago when Kipling’s classic first published.
There are many versions of the plot for Kipling’s classic, ranging from pure fun to very, very dark and Jessica Swale has done a good job finding the right balance for the stage adaptation to keep it family friendly yet retain a sense of danger as the evil tiger, Shere Khan, prowls and plots to get his prize of the man cub left in the jungle and raised by wolves. There are some definite characters that are central in every version of the story and found here too: Bagheera and Baloo – the panther and bear who help raise Mowgli; Kaa the hypnotic snake; and, of course, the monkeys.
‘The first half in particular is lots of fun’
Jordan Pearson, who did so well at TBTL not long ago in One Man, Two Guvnors brings all his comic talent to the character of Baloo. He doesn’t disappoint. Likewise, Darren Kuppan makes a very convincing and menacing Shere Khan but transforms as one of the monkeys to great hilarity. The whole shenanigans with ‘the Funkeys’ is very funny and will delight younger audience members.
The second half, while still humorous, delves deeper as Mowgli (played in her debut role by Maya Dhokia) comes to terms with not being the wolf cub he thought he was and trying to work out in place in both the jungle and in life. Not easy when you have a tiger trying to eat you!
Stand out among the whole cast though is Hannah Azuonye, playing Bagheera. I’ve never seen anyone move more gracefully like a panther while looking elegant as a human as this actor. She played the part to perfection.
The show is a musical, with music and lyrics by Joe Stilgoe. Those of you as old as me might recognise the surname. He is indeed the son of Richard Stilgoe and clearly has similar talents. While there’s no chart-toppers here, the music is catchy and most enjoyable. The main theme song remained in my head for quite a while. Prepare for kids humming the songs on the car journey home!
This version of The Jungle Book is certainly an opportunity to bring young people into the theatre. More intelligent than local pantos, it has enough thrills and scares to delight newcomers while abounding in humour and high jinks that will entertain everyone. TBTL continue to bring us memory-making shows at a time of the year when we wish for exactly that.
Kipling’s classic is a great way to kick off your Christmas season or even to finish it off instead.
The Jungle Book plays at Theatre by the Lake until Sunday 12 January 2025. Tickets are available here. Read the full review here.
Ken Powell is chief editor for Northern Arts Review and is also a bestselling author and writer for various publications around the world. A former school teacher, he continues to write educational books along with fiction and travelogues. You can find all his books and various websites here including his popular TEDx talk about the Global Village. He lives with his family in a wonderfully isolated village in West Cumbria where he enjoys drinking tea, chatting with the birds and winding up his dog. You can support his work (or just buy him a coffee) here.
