Octagon Theatre, Bolton – until Saturday 4th January 2025
Review by Rebecca Hampson
3***
Based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling, adapted for the stage by Andrew Pollard with music by music by Ziad Jabero, The Jungle Book is Octagon Theatre’s Christmas special for 2024.
If you were hoping to sing along to bare necessities, I am afraid to inform that this song did not make the cut. Despite this I did enjoy the musical rendition and ‘Jungle Groove’ which gave a slight homage to the spirit of bare necessities.
The staging design of this play were to be commended as this production takes place in the round. It was clear that there had been extreme thought put into blocking and sight lines of the audience had been meticulously thought out to ensure that each patron received a spectacular view. I particularly loved the use of ropes which allowed the actors to climb and swing across the stage, truly transporting us to a jungle filled with vines and leaves.
What let it down for me however was the lack of differentiation between characters. There were some roles which felt blended within one another due to a lack in change of tone of voice, accent or pitch.
The costumes were questionable, and I found myself unable to understand why Kaa, our well-loved sneaky snake, was wearing mermaid tail leggings. The characterisation of Kaa was fantastic though which made up for this as Harveen Mann-Neary’s vocal emphasis on the ssss pronunciation felt true to the Kaa we know and love.
The standout performance for me came from Shere Khan played by Rachel Marwood. Her sass and true embodiment of the role made me giggle several times and left me almost feeling sorry for this fatally flawed feline.
Overall, I did not feel truly immersed enough to believe that I was watch animals not actors which led to disappointment in the end.
While this production is great at engaging with the audience with good elements of direct address which landed well with its younger audience, I would recommend you be aware this adaptation is different from the Disney classic you may expect to see on the west end.