The Jungle Book At The Octagon Theatre in Bolton Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST/S FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by DT (I am using initials to protect the privacy of my children)
Last night I was delighted to visit The Octagon Theatre in Bolton for the first time. There is a good sized car park next to the venue which is reasonably priced. The location is well served by public transport too, with the train station and bus stops just a short walk away. The venue itself was easy to find. We sat in the lovely first floor bar for a short time before finding our seats for the show. You can even pre-order drinks for the interval. Accessible facilities were great. Every member of staff that we came across was approachable and professional. They were particularly great with my children.
The show was amazing from the start and full of energy and humour. The whole cast’s performance was excellent. My favourite characters were Baloo played by the hilarious Charlie Ryan and Shere Khan played by Rachel Marwood. Ashley D Gayle who played Bagheera was fantastic. Harveen Mann-Nearly who played Akeela and Kaa wowed me. Kiara Nicole Pillai who played Mowgli played the part beautifully. My children particularly enjoyed the parts of the show that involved audience participation.
Now for the music and singing. It was beautifully choreographed original music. My adult guest mentioned how great the harmonies were. Early in the show puppets were used and Ashley D Gayle who played Bagheera was great with them. The lighting was phenomenal and really added to the wonderful atmosphere.
Katie Scott, the set & costume designer did a fantastic job. The jungle set was stunning, so much thought had clearly gone into its design. I loved the way that ropes and plants hung down that were used during the show. Set changes were flawless. The costumes were so well made and really brought the different characters to life. Rachel Marwood’s tiger costume was my favourite costume. It had a beautiful combination of colours.
I was gripped by the 1st part of the show and the pause for the interval came at the perfect time. I think that the show had the perfect balance of being moving and funny. The way the various props were used was so clever.
I was equally gripped by the 2nd shorter part of the show. It was very moving with some hilarious moments, mostly brought to us by a group of monkeys. My favourite part of the show was when one of the character’s had a very bad hair day. I will not give away who this was. I think that the show was the perfect length to keep children engaged. At the end of the show so many people in the audience stood up for a standing ovation. That is a sure sign of an absolutely brilliant show. I would wholeheartedly recommend this show to others as a festive outing. My children came out of the theatre grinning. My adult guest thoroughly enjoyed the show too.
Rating: 5/5
The Jungle Book is on from Friday 22nd November 2024 until Saturday 4th January 2025
Tickets cost from £15.00
For more information or to book tickets please visit The Jungle Book | Octagon Theatre Bolton
Octagon Theatre, Howell Croft South, Bolton, BL1 1SB