The Jungle Book

Published Monday 28 November 2005 at 15:55 by Julie Watterston

Director Andy Brereton and the Watermill Theatre are a match made in heaven, particularly at this time of year when the two go together as effectively as the proverbial mince pies and brandy cream.

Following on from last year’s success with The Arabian Nights, Brereton directs The Jungle Book using similar originality and creative techniques to produce the Kipling stories as an artistic, entertaining and imaginative piece of theatre.

The jungle vegetation is resourcefully designed by Gary McCann with incredibly effective lighting by Lawrence T Doyle and the costumes are an attractive mixture of contemporary modernism and Asian tradition.

As has come to be expected at the Watermill, the cast are a versatile bunch incorporating Janie Armour’s original music into their roles and using their movement and acting skills to represent both animals and humans. Emma Manton, You-Ri Yamanaka and Justin McCarron are a wild bunch as the Bander Log monkeys with them each playing a variety of other roles including Messua, the Cobra and Shere Khan respectively. Yamanaka’s snake is a masterpiece in movement and McCarron’s tiger strikes a menacing gothic pose.

David Plimmer is an amiable Baloo with Claire Storey as Bagheera and Matthew Woodyatt as an appealing Mowgli.