The story of The Jungle Book, never really enchanted me that much when I was a child however, the story is given a fresh lease of life in this new stage adaptation.
Keziah Joseph played Mowgli in this production and she portrayed the excitable and energetic side to the character very well. The new music (not the Disney classics), composed by Joe Stilgoe were perfect to help explain the story and were also easy to understand. They were all sung well by the cast and the final song, 'Size of the Sun' was a perfect, upbeat end to the show. The song for Mowgli that really brought the character to life for me was 'Who I Am' which showed Mowgli's desire to fit in and find out who he is. Shere Khan, played by Lloyd Gorman, brought a sinister and more adult side to the story especially in the second half where the story takes a turn for the worst. His loud, belting voice really brought a scary side to the character. Baloo and Bagheera, played by Dyfrig Morris and Deborah Oyelade respectively, were the most unlikiest of parents but were funny and entertaining for the audience. The Monkeys that were used in the first half were not welcome as they were not necessary to the plot except for one bit and were very childish which I did not like at all. I think this production needed a bit more in terms of making the tone of the show more adult and some of the costumes especially for the wolf pack more sophisticated and perhaps needed a bit more thought in general.
Even thought I was not completely captivated by this production, it only needed a few tweaks to make it a good piece of theatre. It is a fun and energetic story, a must-see for families.
This production is currently touring the UK until May 2018.
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