THE JUNGLE BOOK
Night Show Play
Adapted by Craig Higginson
Original Book by Rudyard Kipling
Directed by Stephanie Manning
Sit alongside a troupe of storytellers as they gather under the stars. The crickets faintly sing as a drum beat echoes in the night, and you are transported to the jungle, where the lives and ideals of man and beast collide, and the law of the jungle must be obeyed. Here, we meet Mowgli, a young boy lost by his parents when fleeing the tiger, Shere Khan. Watch as he is raised by wolves, and educated by the bear Baloo and the panther Bagheera. Mowgli is happy while growing up and learning the ways of the jungle –and his name is soon known amongst all the animals. But Mowgli’s growing fame provokes resentment and envy, and his life is soon threatened from all sides.
This powerful and immersive version of a much-loved classic is as resonant now as it was when it first appeared. Featuring mesmerizing puppetry and stunning live music, this new adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s enchanted tale asks: Who is your true family? Those who look the same as you or those who love and nurture you? Here, the tales become a powerful examination of an emerging democracy, and the forces that threaten it.
Based on a version by the celebrated director Tim Supple, this adaptation was written by critically acclaimed South African playwright Craig Higginson, and was first staged at Johannesburg’s Market Theatre in 2008.
CAST:
Mowgli: Hadley Connor
Bagheera: Jillian Wadland
Baloo: Brendan Qi
Shere Khan: Casey Monteiro
Tabaqui/Priest/Others: Justin Kirk
Mother Wolf/Messua/Others: Ailadis Hernández
Father Wolf/Messua’s HusbandOthers: Ben Litvak-Hinenzon
Akela/Kaa/Others: Cassandra Till
Chil/Others: Katherine Grocela
Leader of the Monkeys/Woman/Others: Anika Reichelt
Chiki/Monkey/Others: Elyza Tuan
Monkey/Others: Nyosha Homicil
Brother Wolf/Kite/Others: Lanz Perez-Kudzma
Wolf/Kite/Buldeo/Others: Colin Davan
Kite/Wolf/Others: Grace Beecher
