Well, this really is one to take your breath away! Rudyard Kipling is well known for his children's stories and The Jungle Book, written in 1894,  has long been a favourite of the young and not-so -young.  Description is said to be one of Kipling's strengths and this production really manages to capture rich and complete imagery for its audience. This captivating adaptaion of the beautiful and intricate Mowgli story mixes fantasy, myth and magic. It tells the tale of man-cub Mowgli's incredible journey of self- discovery from a baby raised by wolves to master of the jungle and his problems as he struggles to understand where he belongs. Wonderful characterisations and fantastical puppetry bring Kipling's creations to life on stage. 

Stepping into the auditorium at The Tobacco Factory is always exciting as one wonders how the space will have been adapted to suit its current purpose. Swathes of green musliin drape softly over painted scaffolding and origami chains dangle above a green stage, the whole area transformed into a jungle environment. As the lights dim, echoes of tropical bird sounds add to the experience. Small puppet jungle creatures hover and creep on the ends of sticks and strings until - sensing the arrival of larger animals - they scatter into safety. Local actress Pooja Kumar takes the lead as Mowgli, the baby rescued by Bagheera from the clutches of Shere Khan the evil panther and brought up by wolves. Mowgli learns to run and hunt and survive with the pack, but we know and wait in expectation that danger is just around the corner and that somewhere a mother never gives up hope of finding her missing son. It is so hard to pick out individual performances as each of the main characters and the supporting puppeteers is quite superb. Every word is delivered perfectly - even from the incredible crocodile who projects with ease and clarity from a supine position. Beware of getting too close though, the crocodile appears at the beginning of the second half and two young children venturing close jumped high when the sleepy reptile widened its jaws. The movement of each of the animal actors shows critical attention to detail. Costumes are striking. Song lyrics are lovely and the music simple and appealing.   

For me, this production has all the excitement and cleverness of 'The Lion King' but without the Disney hype, the travel to London and the cost. Instead the intimate venue of the Tobacco Factory offers an outstanding production, directed by Dan Danson and building on his successful Christmas production last year of Huckleberry Finn. The Tobacco Factory continues to go from strength to strength and, as for this particular production, it's simply a stunning show!