BWW Reviews: THE JUNGLE BOOK, New Wimbledon Theatre, November 1 2011
Birmingham Stage Company's version of Jungle Book (at New Wimbledon Theatre until 5 November and on tour) uses Kipling's original stories for its inspiration, rather than the Disney animation which inevitably haunts the production, especially in the song and dance numbers. In going back to the texts, Stuart Paterson has been able to squeeze in plenty of pathos alongside the monkeyish japes, the pratfalls and the fights. The hard edge of the the tale of the boy seeking acceptance in a world that seems to reject him at every turn, comes through clearly - but not so strongly as to detract from a production that sets out to please pre-teens and their parents and largely succeeds.
Samuel Hargreaves as Mowgli captures the character's initial innocent playfulness and his transformation from mancub to man, as adulthood is forged by the enmity of Shere Khan (a satisfyingly scary Peter Sowerbutts) and battles with the Village Chief (Zephryn Taitte), who denies Mowgli the right to work and provide for himself. The jungle, the law of which is celebrated in song, is shown as a place of warmth (Rob Hughes is a big, soft, teddy bearish Baloo) but also of danger (Craig Painting's jackal Tabaqui, lickspittle of Shere Khan, is relentlessly unpleasant and threatening). Whilst the lesson that good will triumph over evil and that brains will overcome brawn are in tune with life today, the rejoicing over the death of a tiger that is constantly hungry due to the impact of man, rather jars with modern sensibilities - but Kipling was somewhat old-fashioned when he wrote the stories and that was 117 years ago.
In trying to please kids and parents, stay loyal to the book and drive some clear blue water between itself and the Disney classic, this production runs the risk of missing a step or two. That it doesn't is down to its pace (the most important element of children's theatre) and a cast who commit to animal and human kingdoms in which the struggles to survive (while adhering to jungle law) are real and one can only get through by being true to oneself and getting along with each other. Now that's an old-fashioned lesson that will never feel dated.
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