The Jungle Book, lived up to expectations…

You know you are in for something special when you arrive at a theatre and the first thing you see is a large, leafy, jungle-themed frame hanging in the foyer, inviting audience selfies.

Theatre by the Lake’s seasonal family offering, The Jungle Book, lived up to expectations.

We all know Rudyard Kipling’s classic 1894 tale if only from its incarnation as a Disney animated film. Mowgli the man-cub is raised in the jungle by wolves and with a little help from his animal friends: Bagheera the panther, Baloo the bear, Kaa the python and, of course, his wolf pack family led by Akela.

After learning the Law of the Jungle, and despite the best efforts of a gang of monkeys, Mowgli ultimately manages to overcome the Bengal tiger Shere Khan and, in a bitter-sweet twist, reluctantly but inevitably returns to the man-village of his birth.

However, this original stage adaptation by Jessica Swale and directed by Kash Arshad, whose portrait is in the theatre’s We Are 25 exhibition, is a coming-of-age tale with so much more: it’s a high-flying adventure featuring a wonderful cast; Asian-inspired costume design by Ellen Rey de Castro; atmospheric music and catchy songs composed by Joe Stilgoe, arranged by Matthew Malone; impressive set design and lighting by TK Hay and Simeon Miller; and even puppetry, by Maia Kirkman-Richards.

Dreamlike, beguiling Asian music sets the scene, as we see a puppet bird – a kite – flying above the jungle and then meet the wolf pack, led by Akela (Elizabeth Green, who also doubles as Kaa the python), as baby Mowgli is accepted into the pack.

He soon grows into a puppet child before finally becoming the Mowgli we all know and love, his innocence, verve, enthusiasm and frustrations brilliantly portrayed by actor Maya Dhokia in, astonishingly, her debut as a professional actor. She really shines in the role.

But it’s the Baloo the bear, played by talented Jordan Pearson, who is the stand-out character and, to me, is pivotal to the whole production.

Mowgli’s best friend, guide and mentor, he teaches the boy the vital jungle survival skills he needs in order to escape the clutches of Shere Khan, who is determined to destroy him. To triumph, Mowgli must first learn the Law of the Jungle and discover the man-cub he truly is. Pearson’s Baloo is larger-than-life in every way. With a great stage presence, witty lines, great physical theatre and a voice reminiscent of Johnny Vegas, he is so funny and undoubtedly an audience favourite, not least because of his direct interaction with them.

The second half of The Jungle Book brings imminent danger from Shere Khan, although for me he’s not as menacing as he might be, despite some convincingly tigerish growls and shoulder-rolls.

There’s poignancy too after Mowgli meets his mother at the man-village as, in the grip of emotions he doesn’t understand, he wails to his wolf brothers: “There’s water coming out of my face. My face has started raining!”

But it’s the change of pace the monkeys bring that really gets the audience going. The funny, funky, street-wise – or rather jungle-wise – crew sporting silver baseball caps and hip-hoppy kit proceed to mime and hoot their way through a great laugh-out-loud song and dance act before setting out on the monkey-business of ingratiating themselves with the tiger by kidnapping Mowgli.

Bagheera the panther (Hannah Azuonye) and Baloo then seek out Kaa of the mesmerising eyes, lounging lazily on a rock after slinkily sloughing off her skin, to enlist her help to rescue Mowgli by hypnotising the monkey crew.

Back with his ‘family’, Mowgli is sent to fetch the feared ‘red flower’ of fire from the village with which to defeat the dastardly Shere Khan, which he dutifully does.

Finally, as darkness falls, shining eyes in the jungle reveal the animals watching over Mowgli, alongside his mother in the man-village for the first time. Reassured by their presence, he sleeps.

Cue the ensemble finale: a song reinforcing the show’s feel-good messages of equality, diversity, acceptance and the importance of family and friends: “You’re never lost and lonely in the jungle with your brothers all around…” and “We may speak not speak the same language, but we breathe the same air”.

All in all, it’s a tale replete with adventure, friendship, a sense of belonging and, of course, fun. The Jungle Book is the perfect treat for all the family.

And how lucky we are in Cumbria to be home to Theatre by the Lake. May its next 25 years be as successful as the last quarter century.

And did I take a selfie in that leafy jungle frame in the foyer? Of course I did.

The Jungle Book runs until Sunday, January 12.

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