By BRUCE DENNILL
The Jungle Book / Directed By Daniel Butcher-Geddes / Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre, Fourways, Johannesburg
Bringing an immensely well-known and much-loved story to the stage can have both benefits and challenges. In the case of The Jungle Book, benefits include the power of Rudyard Kipling’s original story, which in itself and as the basis for a myriad adaptations (films, plays, comics and more) has the cultural impact and longevity of ancient myths and fables. Audiences of all ages and from many backgrounds are already familiar with the themes and potentially keen to share the tale with a new generation.
A major challenge, particularly when presenting a new musical adaptation, is the enduring popularity of the 1967 Disney film version of the story, which is such that simply saying “The Jungle Book” leads to someone in the room starting to hum or sing The Bare Necessities.
Needing to market around those preconceptions aside, most theatre lovers are excited to hear of fresh perspectives on strong narratives, and there are a number of strong facets in this VR Theatrical production, adapted for the stage by Daniel Butcher-Geddes (who’s also responsible for the song lyrics) and featuring new music by Wessel Odendaal. Indeed, the opening song is excellent, featuring pleasing compositional complexity while also introducing the context to the audience.
A strong cast of six play multiple roles to allow for the inclusion of most of the characters from other versions (there are no elephants or vultures, for instance), with the hugely talented Virtuous Kandemiri being the standout performer and singer as the wolf pack matriarch and the sinister snake Kaa (courtesy of some clever, effective puppetry). Katlego Nche’s vocals as Akela are also fantastic, and Jonathan Raath, as Shere Khan, has a sneering, villainous presence that recalls Tim Curry.
A lush set and a chic, modern twist on animal costumes (Thuto Gaasenwe’s Bagheera could potentially head straight for the, er, catwalk) – the latter by Ashleigh Butcher-Geddes) add strong visual appeal to proceedings.
Everything works, then, and what is presented feels a good deal more sophisticated than some other productions using the same source material. However, that enhanced craft is balanced out by relatively few dialogue-driven laughs or strong musical hooks (in what is otherwise a beautifully written and recorded score). In the specific context of a children’s show, these components do feel missed, as some of the superior artistry inspires reflectiveness more than whatever a six-year-old is capable of after a Coke and packet of Jelly Tots.
