The Jungle Book
It is the quality of Birmingham Stage Company’s production of Rudyard Kipling’s epic tale that really stands out.
A dense green jungle set comes complete with vines to swing on and unfolding flowers and a simple block construction in the middle that is anything from a sacred rock, to a monkey temple to a village.
Inhabiting this is a cast that matches it in its excellence. Peter F Gardiner is a malevolent Khan, commanding the stage whenever he appears. Trevor A Toussaint a cuddly, no-nonsense Baloo and Allyson Addo slinky as black panther Bagheera - all the more impressive as she came on as understudy replacing Alex De Marcus on the day of the review.
Tony Hasnath’s Mowgli is still very much the man cub, a sense of play and irresponsibility overriding the very real task of killing Khan that lies ahead of him.
The script and plot are well-constructed, although a scene that should have been a banker, featuring monkeys, had the children fidgeting, possibly because there was too much information.
The songs are catchy, particularly the final number Jungle Law, with Barb Jungr’s lyrics quick to pick up and easy to follow.
Production information
- By:
- Rudyard Kipling, adapted by Stuart Paterson
- Composer:
- BB Cooper, lyrics by Barb Jungr
- Management:
- Birmingham Stage Company
- Cast:
- Mitesh Soni, Matthew Weyland, Benedict Martin, Declan Wilson, Amy Maynard, Philip Scutt, Michael Wagg, Yasmin Kadi, Lyndsey Orr, Steven Castelaz
- Director:
- Graeme Messer
- Design:
- Jackie Trousdale
- Sound:
- Tom Lishman
- Lighting:
- Jason Taylor
- Costumes:
- Gemma Ewans
- Choreography:
- Ken Oldfield
- Musical direction:
- Chris Walker
Production information can change over the run of the show.
Run sheet
- Old Rep Birmingham
- November 18 2004-January 29 2005
- Orchard Dartford
- February 15-19 2005
- New Cardiff
- February 22-26 2005
- Hall for Cornwall Truro
- March 1- 5 2005
- Civic Darlington
- March 8-12 2005
- Charter Preston
- March 15-19 2005
- Churchill Bromley
- March 22-26 2005
- New Victoria Woking
- March 29-April 2 2005
- Theatre Royal Plymouth
- April 5- 9 2005
- Theatre Royal Nottingham
- April 19-23 2005
- Opera House Buxton
- April 26-30 2005
- Alhambra Bradford
- May 17-21 2005
- Hawth Crawley
- May 24-28 2005
- Theatre Royal Norwich
- June 1- 4 2005
- Marlowe Canterbury
- June 7-11 2005
- Swan High Wycombe
- June 14-18 2005
- Mercury Colchester
- June 28-July 2 2005
- Lyceum Sheffield
- July 5- 9 2005
- Milton Keynes Theatre Milton Keynes
- July 26-30 2005
- Lowry Salford
- August 30-September 3 2005
- Grand Opera House Belfast
- September 6-10 2005
- Theatre Royal Brighton
- September 13-17 2005
- Empire Liverpool
- September 27-October 1 2005
- Regent Stoke-On-Trent
- October 4- 8 2005
- Richmond Theatre Richmond-upon-Thames
- October 11-15 2005
- New Hull
- October 18-22 2005
- Civic Chelmsford
- October 25-29 2005
- Key Peterborough
- November 22-26 2005
- Brewhouse Taunton
- November 28-December 3 2005
- Playhouse Whitley Bay
- December 6-10 2005
- Bloomsbury London
- December 13 2005-January 28 2006
- His Majesty's Aberdeen
- January 31-February 4 2006
- De Montfort Hall Leicester
- February 22-25 2006
- Wyvern Swindon
- March 7-11 2006
- Princess Torquay
- March 14-18 2006
- Playhouse Sevenoaks
- March 29-April 1 2006
- Forum Billingham
- April 4- 8 2006
- Everyman Cheltenham
- April 11-15 2006
- Victoria Halifax
- May 2- 6 2006
- Alexandra Birmingham
- May 16-20 2006
- Auditorium Grimsby
- May 23-27 2006
- Mayflower Southampton
- May 30-June 3 2006
- Cliffs Pavilion Southend-on-Sea
- June 6-10 2006
- Empire Sunderland
- June 13-17 2006
- New Wimbledon London
- June 20-24 2006
- New Oxford
- July 4- 8 2006
- Hippodrome Bristol
- July 11-15 2006
- Gateway Chester
- July 25-29 2006
- Capitol Horsham
- August 23
- Cliffs Pavilion Southend-on-Sea
- August 28-30
- Theatre Royal Glasgow
- September 2- 6
- New Oxford
- September 11-13
- Assembly Hall Tunbridge Wells
- September 16-20
- Grand Opera House Belfast
- September 23-27
- Forum Billingham
- October 7-11
- Lighthouse Poole
- October 14-18
- Grand Swansea
- October 21-25
- Lyceum Sheffield
- October 28-November 1
- Grand Wolverhampton
- November 4- 8
- Brewhouse Taunton
- November 18-22
- Rose Kingston-upon-Thames
- November 25-29
- Theatr Hafren Newtown
- December 3- 6
- Bloomsbury London
- December 9 2008-January 24 2009
- New Cardiff
- February 17-21 2009
Do you believe the information shown here is incorrect? If so let us know by e-mailing us at listings@thestage.co.uk.
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