THE MOWGLI STORIES To 6 September.

Tour.

THE MOWGLI STORIES
by Rudyard Kipling adapted by Oliver Gray.

Illyria, Tour to 4 September 2009. Information www.illyria.uk.com
Runs: 2hr One interval.
Review: Alan Gear 16 August at: Newstead Abbey.

There was suspiciously little weather about at Newstead Abbey for The Mowgli Stories; you kept waiting for something to go wrong. Nothing did: it was a pleasant evening, aimed at 5+. (Nearly all Illyria performances are open-air, with venues opening an hour bedore performacnes; it takes verty severe weather to stop a performance).

After a tiger, Shere Khan, who’s the chief villain of the play, attacks a human camp in the jungle, the boy Mowgli is brought up by a pack of wolves. Various adventures befall him before his eventual return to ordinary society. This is a free adaptation by Oliver Gray (also responsible for the music) which puts a number of Rudyard Kipling's stories together.

Save for newcomer to Illyria Ben Harrison, stripped to the waist as an effective Mowgli, everyone from the cast of five plays a multitude of parts. The actors do their best to supply appropriate movement and speech; nevertheless, had they not each been holding a well-painted mask the animals wouldn’t have been easy to differentiate. They all wear similar costumes.

It’s an utterly bare set, and you’re never properly convinced, by howling, acting or anything else that this is a steamy Indian jungle thick with colour and life.

Narration is properly kept to a minimum. The text seems to be pure Kipling; the formal English is often declamatory and there’s little use of the short form. Unless you’re very familiar with the stories, you need to concentrate: it’s often wordy and static. But it’s also sometimes vigorous and compelling stuff - “This is the law of the jungle”.

This being being Illyria, the ensemble singing is done generally well. There’s a particularly good song from the Bandarlog, the monkeys played by everyone.

You’re moved by the old lead wolf Akela's death and, again, at the end when Mowgli opts for, and finally returns to, human society - his identity confusion throughout the play has been a major theme. But, generally, this isn’t Illyria at their best.

Cast: Ruth Cataroche, Becky George, Andrew Lindfield, Oliver Parham, Ben Harrison.

Director/Choregrapher: Tina Hofman.
Music: Oliver Gray.
Masks: Richard Johnston.

2009-08-18 23:45:12