{"id":33583,"date":"2013-12-07T17:49:40","date_gmt":"2013-12-07T17:49:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8ce250469d.nxcli.io\/?post_type=theatre-review&p=33583"},"modified":"2020-08-23T00:19:52","modified_gmt":"2020-08-22T23:19:52","slug":"the-jungle-book-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment-focus.com\/2013\/12\/07\/the-jungle-book-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Jungle Book review"},"content":{"rendered":"
The West Yorkshire Playhouse offers up an alternative Christmas treat this season with a bold adaptation of Rudyard Kiplings’s The Jungle Book.<\/p>\n
Set in the Indian jungle, the story follows the journey of runaway infant Mowgli as he is raised by Akela the wolf, Baloo the bear and Bagheere the panther. Learning the tongue of wild animals and their relationship with the nature of the jungle, the boy grows up at one with the wild. As a young adult he is reunited with his mother and the culture of mankind, but finds enemies in this new world whilst also facing the a duel he’s been evading all his life: a battle against the king of the jungle, Shere Khan.<\/p>\n
The play has a large ensemble cast, each costumed in colourful representations of the creatures they depict. Daniel Copeland\u2019s Baloo is particularly enchanting, exuding warmth and strength in his performance. The rakish Oliver Hoare also stands out as bounding jackal Tabaqui, using shortened crutches for forelegs. Jan Knightley\u2019s Akela, leader of the pack, demonstrates an equally impressive style of movement, though the style of mask worn somewhat shrouds his facial expressions. The show is carried by Jacob James Beswick as Mowgli, demonstrating an inexhaustible athleticism throughout. Often bounding on all fours and ascending ropes at great speed, Beswick constantly commands the audience\u2019s attention and successfully evokes a freedom of movement on the stage \u2013 which although vast, is still somewhat constrained. Beswick presents Mowgli as both sensitive, cheeky and adventurous and is an excellent protagonist for children to associate with.<\/p>\n
The inspired decision to use British regional accents throughout the play works reasonably well on the whole, with a predominance of Yorkshire dialects inflecting variances in class and\u00a0wealth upon characters.\u00a0However, the positioning of bejewelled monkeys in the role of what many would consider ‘chavs’ arguably sends out a mixed message.<\/p>\n
Stage presentation in The Jungle Book is wholly innovative with a rich depth of scale and texture. Subtle lighting and continuous sound effects evoke the jungle and Indian climate vividly, whilst the use of a number of puppets throughout add a wealth of movement and life to the world on stage. A particular triumph is the realisation of the baby Mowgli, performed and voiced by two unconcealed performers.<\/p>\n