Oddsocks Productions – The Jungle Book
Bridgehouse Theatre, Warwick
IT is amazing what Oddsocks Productions can do with five people, a mobile jungle set and some instruments.
The only traditional part of Oddsocks’ The Jungle Book is how it follows Rudyard Kipling’s tale and that is what made watching it all the more enjoyable.
From sports-style introductions of the cast to the set being moved around in front of the audience between scenes tradition and formality are thrown out the window.
And you won’t find any renditions of The Bare Necessities in this show, but rather Shere Khan singing Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’, a group number about the law of the jungle and more.
The story follows Mowgli the man-cub as he grows up as part of a wolf pack and learns the law of the jungle from Bagheera the panther, Baloo the bear and Kaa the python.
With a menagerie of animals including the wolf pack, an orangutan, monkeys, an elephant and a herd of buffalo, the small cast pulls off quick costume changes seamlessly and have found inventive ways of making their jungle come alive.
While this isn’t a pantomime, audience participation is necessary and adds a great atmosphere to the show – audience members need to be alert, ready to attack and howl as part of the wolf pack. And enthusiastically booing Shere Khan, who is the biggest diva going, is also a must.
A few pokes at politics and current events also feature for the big kids in the audience.
If every other Oddsocks production is anything like The Jungle Book, then they are perfect for all the family and will keep you laughing all evening.
Visit www.oddsocks.co.uk/theatre for more information and upcoming shows.
