The Jungle Book tour, by Wicked Productions landed at The Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells today with a bang. Straight into gags, silliness and laughter (especially from the actors), the audience are catapulted into the fun and entertainment of the show.
The story line was simple and consistent with The Jungle Book, we know and love, by Rudyard Kipling. Mowgli, an abandoned baby is brought to a wolf pack by Bagheera, the panther, who raise him as one of their own cubs. Mowgli then becomes a target of the evil tiger Shere Khan, and with help from his friends Bagheera and Baloo, the bear, Mowgli must go back to the man village, where he will be safe.
Leading the show was Bagheera, played by Ant Payne. An experienced performer, he narrated the story with humour and personality. He has an obvious chemistry with Tom Swift, who played Akela and Baloo, and they clearly enjoy working alongside one another.
Tom Swift played two roles, however, it was his performance as Baloo the bear that really stole the show. His physicality and confidence shine on stage and he is clearly no stranger to the limelight. From the second he began his first song as Baloo, the audience had found their hero. As ridiculous as he is talented, it is clear why Swift has had so much success both on stage and in the creation of Wicked Productions, which he owns.
Payne and Swift play off each other so well, and this was most apparent in the absurd, yet brilliant "boom box" scene, where they hit each other many, many times with a frying pan, and it never got boring.
Monifa James was a very safe pair of hands as the man cub, Mowgli. Clearly a triple threat, she sang, acted and dance with great skill. It is not always easy to play the "straight" role in a show like this, especially when surrounded by such exaggerated characters, but she held her own and was a very likeable Mowgli. Her singing voice was beautiful and I would have loved to hear her sing more.
Suzie Chard gave a more subtle performance in her portrayals of Queen Lou, Raksha and the voice of Kaa. Her song, "Mothers Son" which she sang to Mowgli with real sincerity, was a very touching moment, and as a mother of a little boy myself, I must confess, brought a tear to my eye. I felt that her character Raksha was the strongest of her characters.
Shere Khan was an absolute explosion on stage. Played by Edwin Wright, with an intriguing mix of terror and camp, this tiger was most definitely a baddie the audience loved to
hate. His physicality and character were incredible, I thought my son would be terrified of him, but actually, he loved him. His voice was very commanding, it did warp the mic at times due to the sheer volume of his delivery, but this was a very minor observation for an otherwise excellent performance.
The characters were supported by Lauren Brindley, Saskia Ward, Josie Lee and Summer Jay Jones who danced and sang with great energy and enthusiasm. The choreography by, Kerry Turner was effective and vibrant.
The costumes were very inventive and looked great under the stage lights, Shelley Claridge did a great job of creating something new and fresh.
The Jungle Book was an absolute delight to watch from start to finish. The energy, professionalism, laughter, fun and engagement all the performers brought to the show was incredible, and a whole auditorium of kids and adults were laughing out loud from start to finish. I have seen many, many... many children's shows, and this one is one of the best.
The tour is continuing, so check out Wicked Productions social media (www.facebook.com/pg/WKDproductions) to find out when it is coming to your town.
TOMMY'S TAKE:
As part of my blog, I will be asking my five year old son, Tommy, to give his honest feedback about the shows he sees. As we know, you will not get more honest than a child!
So, Tommy came along to see The Jungle Book at The Assembly Hall, Tunbridge Wells, and this is what he had to say...
"It was really good, and really funny. I liked the tiger the best even though he was scary."
When I asked Tommy if other boys and girls should go to see the show he said,
"Yes, I think they would really like it."
He also added,
"I really liked the snake, I think there might have been people making it move because I think I saw a shadow, but I'm not sure"
Thank you WICKED Productions, for an enjoyable show.
Ex
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