The Birmingham Stage Company’s production of THE JUNGLE BOOK is a rip-roaring family show using the full force of musical theatre – a jungle beat of thunderous music and vigorous dance routines – eliciting a wildly enthusiastic response with every number. For sheer energy, this exhilarating production ticks all the boxes for families looking for an uplifting treat!”
THE JUNGLE BOOK at The Swansea Grand
Birmingham Stage Company is rightly renowned for the high standard of its productions and this splendidly realised version of the well-loved Rudyard Kipling classic - adapted by Stuart Paterson and directed by Neal Foster - is as good as it gets.
Everyone knows the Disney cartoon, of course, and it is fair to say that there are elements of this here, but there are darker elements which give a little extra weight and meat to the piece.
Steven Castelaz makes a likeable and sympathetic Mowgli(the young Mowgli is introduced in the guise of a fabulously animated puppet), while Benedict Martin is well cast in the role of predatory tiger Shere Khan.
One of the most impressive aspects of this production is that the dignity and order of animal hierarchies is measured against the brutishness of mankind: the message is clear and the accuracy of the way in which the animals are portrayed the movements are supervised by Peter Elliott, who worked on movies such as Greystoke and Gorillas in the Mist)is absolutely fascinating.
Shakespearean buffs might also get a kick out of the clever way in which some of the lines are teasingly redolent of those penned by the Bard.
On a point of pedantry - since the story is firmly based in India and features a host of native animals such as the tiger, rock python, wolf and Asiatic jackal - one wonders exactly how an orang-utan slots into the scenario. But since it gives us another chance to see the beautifully articulated costume from the company's revious success, Kensuke's Kingdom, one can easily forgive the incongruity.
Heartily recommended.
Graham Williams
“Lion King beware! A new herd of animals now roaming the country is about to challenge your supremacy in the West End of London. An adventure story full of thrills, spills, excitement and fun - spiced with love and tenderness - and enjoyed by an audience ranged from five to eighty-five!”
Theatreworld
“The quality of the show is as high as the jungle tree-tops, the sets are lush and the characters and costumes enchanting. This is a top class production, a tropical cocktail of intense and comical moments, shaken and stirred with heart-stopping dangers and surprises. Don’t miss your chance to grab the vine and swing into the theatre”
Telegraph
“Birmingham Stage Company judges the blend of fear, wonderment, danger and discovery with seasoned skill. The jungle world is played out with superb animal movement in this exceedingly good journey into Kipling country!”
What’s On
“The Birmingham Stage Company is Britain’s top producer of imaginative family shows. In the past decade The BSC has taken on challenging subjects and built an enviable reputation by the way it has handled them. THE JUNGLE BOOK adds to its impressive record by delivering two hours of first-class family entertainment”
Nottingham Evening Post
“When you are up against a Disney classic loved by millions, you have your work cut out to produce a show that’s entertaining, fast moving and fun in comparison. The Birmingham Stage Company does exactly that with its production of THE JUNGLE BOOK. The highlights are the foot-tapping new songs, every one as catchy as those in the film. It’s fun, it’s poignant and it’s entertainment at its very best. A true children’s hit. Catch it while you can”
Darlington News