Review: Jungle Book Reimagined (Akram Khan / Canadian Stage)

Bringing the timeless tale to the stage, Jungle Book reimagined, an Akram Khan Company production presented by Canadian Stage, takes Rudyard Kipling's iconic story to new heights. In this innovative rendition, Mowgli is no longer in the wild forests but is instead a refugee in a flood-ravaged USA. This alarming shift of setting immediately foregrounds pressing environmental issues and the palpable loss of human connection in today's world. This version of the Jungle Book beautifully uses contemporary dance to tell its story and is suitable for the entire family, with recommendations for children only over the age of eight.

Building on the original story—which features Mowgli, a young boy raised by wolves who embarks on a journey to the village to escape the menacing tiger, Shere Khan—this reimagining layers on additional complexity and contemporary relatability. While the original story is already rich with themes of family, friendship, and identity, Khan’s  creates a sense of urgency about our current environmental crisis, vividly illustrating a devastated USA through scenes of garbage floating in the waters, shipwrecks, and panicked families floating on rafts in flooded major cities.

​​Akram Khan serves as director and choreographer, in his first venture of integrating recorded dialogue as a narrative tool. The dialogue is perfectly balanced, never overshadowing the performance but consistently keeping the audience engrossed in the unfolding story. I had a row of children behind me and other than some kicks to the chair, they were all thoroughly engrossed in the work, a hard feat for a 130-minute performance (with intermission) but the time just absolutely flies by.

The mostly empty stage is magically full of life, thanks to a company of ten dancers and gorgeous animation projected on stage through two scrims. The animation takes on a life of its own, almost 3D in its interaction with the dancers. They conjure everything from massive elephants to minuscule mice, adding a fantastical and magical layer to the narrative. Mowgli's flashbacks are especially poignant, animated in real-time as the dancers on stage watch these memories with us.

The dancers fully embody the animals they represent. The dancing bear is a particular show-stealer, offering a heartfelt portrayal that stands as a highlight. The monkey ensemble is equally as enthralling; It is fun to watch as they seamlessly crawl through the space as if they have never been bipedal. All the while, Jocelyn Pook's music composition complements the narrative, adding yet another layer to the work and fostering an almost ethereal but nostalgic atmosphere.

Before diving into the program notes, I did not realize that The Jungle Book is actually part of a collection of stories by Kipling, inspired by various traditional Indian myths. The popular Disney adaptation represents just a fraction of interwoven narratives through the jungle (this is now added to the forever growing reading list).

While the work doesn't directly reference current global conflicts, it's hard not to draw parallels between its exploration of loss and disconnection and the ongoing wars in places like Israel/Palestine and Russia/Ukraine. Returning to breaking news alerts during intermission only hammered home how immediate and applicable the themes of this performance are.

Sitting amongst an audience peppered with young faces, I was also struck by the production's reminder of the preciousness of our children. Those who will inherit this planet and its challenges, as well as be the next artists and storytellers. The show, then, becomes even more of a call to action and is a reminder to think about how we want to leave the world for them. 

Akram Khan's Jungle Book Reimagined is more than a mere retelling; it's a fresh take on a timeless tale that couldn't be more relevant today. A must-see and a great idea for families looking for a night out.

Jungle Book Reimagined, presented by Canadian Stage and the Akram Khan Company, is playing at the Bluma Appel Theatre (27 Front St E, Toronto, ON) until October 14th, 2023. Tickets range from $39.00 to $129.00, with discounts for arts workers and those under 30. Tickets can be purchased online here.

CanadianStage.com
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AkramKhanCompany.net
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Photo by Ambra Vernuccio.

Written by Deanne Kearney
DeanneKearney.com @deannekearney