BWW Reviews: THE JUNGLE BOOK, Old Rep Theatre, Birmingham, April 8 2011

From the first second the audience sets its eyes on the jungle green set of the Birmingham Stage Company's The Jungle Book to the final seconds of the show's soaring finale they are treated to a genuine feast of entertainment than can only be described as theatrical magic. Along the way they encounter a host of "animals", including wolves, monkeys, a snake, a panther, a bear, a tiger and the most complicated and in many ways most primeval animal of all - man.

For this is Kipling's allegorical morality tale set around the fable of the "man-cub" Mowgli, abandoned in the Indian jungle, raised by wolves, hunted by the evil Tiger Shere Khan, befriended by the bear Baloo and Panther Bagheera and ultimately finding that he is not accepted by either beasts or mankind. But it is also simply "just great fun". Stuart Patterson (the writer of the superb stage adaptation), together with director Neal Foster and his team of designers and thespians manage to create a world and narrate a story that works on many levels, appealing to both young and old alike. And the appeal is further enhanced by a delightful score of songs by BB Cooper and Barb Jung - with more than a little help from orchestrator Gidon Fineman - which are not only "catchy" but also perfect vehicles for enhancing character and advancing the plot.

But perhaps the most essential ingredients in this feast of a show are the incredibly talented ensemble of actors. Samuel Hargreaves, in his UK debut as Mowgli, oozes with boyish charm, uses his beautifully toned vocals to perfect effect and totally "owns" the stage throughout - showing that he is a genuine star-in-the making. And the rest of the cast (Peter Sowerbutts, Natasha Lewis, Iwan Tudor, Rob Hughes, Zephryn Taitte, Craig Painting, Laura Waggott, Joe Sterling and Jennifer O'Neil) support him with great vocal, acting and dancing skills and a precise physicality of movement that makes every animal a believable character (thanks in great part to the contribution of "animal movement expert" Peter Elliott). Every single person on stage delivers a performance with such an infectious level of energy that they never allow the pace of the show to drop for an instant.

According to Kipling's Law Of the Jungle, "the strength of the Pack is the Wolf and the strength of the Wolf is the pack". The leader and the pack do not get much stronger than those on view on stage in this production and they are set fair to delight audiences across the UK for the duration of this major touring production.