The Jungle Book

The Jungle Book is an 1894 collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling.

The original text

Saved from the jaws of Shere Khan the tiger, Mowgli must learn the Laws of the Jungle from Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther to survive. A brave little man cub grows into a confident and care-free young boy, but danger is never far away and Shere Khan is hungry for revenge. As Mowgli faces each peril and pitfall, he must decide whether he belongs in the world of men or with the animal kingdom.

Translations and adaptations

There have been several film and stage adaptations of Kipling's work.

These include:

An adaptation titled Mowgli performed by students of University of Durban-Westville in 1973.

The Birmingham Stage Company version adapted by Stuart Paterson in 2004.

Stage adaptation by British playwright Tim Supple.

Tim Supple's version subsequently adapted for South African audiences by Craig Higginson in 2008.

Performance history in South Africa

1973: Mowgli presented by University of Durban-Westville Speech and Drama Department, directed by Susan Orpen and Marjorie Campbell.

1978: Presented by CRATE, CAPAB and Rhodes University Drama Department at the Box Theatre and also at the Constantia Centre, Port Elizabeth, devised and directed by Lawrence Hilton.

1985: Presented by Company of Theatre Arts at St John's Theatre, Durban.

2007: An adaptation presented by KickstArt, directed by Steven Stead.

2008: Craig Higginson's version staged. Cast: Vishanti Arumujam (Mowgli), Mncedisi Shabangu (Baloo), Anthony Coleman, Lindiwe Matshikiza, Mongi Mthombeni, Faniswa Yisa at the Market Theatre.

Sources

Ruphin Coudyzer. 2023. Annotated list of his photographs of Market Theatre productions. (Provided by Coudyzer)

https://www.nickhernbooks.co.uk/jungle-book-stuart-paterson

Greyvenstein, Walter 1988. The history and development of children's theatre in English in South Africa. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Johannesburg: Rand Afrikaans University.

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