Everything you need to know about 'The Jungle Book' at the National Theatre

Anupama Chandrasekhar's adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic stories, directed by Indhu Rubasingham, is the National Theatre's 2026 holiday show.

Summary

• The Jungle Book plays at the National Theatre's Olivier Theatre from 13 November to 6 February 2027
• Anupama Chandrasekhar adapts the stories by Rudyard Kipling
• National Theatre artistic director Indhu Rubasingham directs the production
• Olivier winner Hiran Abeysekera leads the cast as Mowgli

There’s a thrilling new family adventure coming to the National Theatre this autumn... First published in 1894, Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book has captivated readers for generations and continues to be ripe for new interpretations.

The classic tale about human boy Mowgli, raised by wolves and other jungle animals, is adapted for the stage by Anupama Chandrasekhar (The Father and the Assassin) and directed by the National Theatre’s artistic director Indhu Rubasingham. The show is led by Olivier winner (Life of Pi) Hiran Abeysekera as Mowgli.

The National Theatre is renowned for its inventive Christmas shows, with Ballet Shoes and The Witches earning five-star reviews from LondonTheatre.co.uk’s critics. With its epic scope and dazzling visuals, it’s set to be the top family show for the festive period. Get ready to swap the city for the jungle and join Mowgli and friends on their adventures!

Book The Jungle Book tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

What is The Jungle Book about?

The Jungle Book is the story of Mowgli, a foundling boy rescued by wolves and raised in the jungle. His companions and mentors include wolf pack leader Akela, panther Bagheera, and sloth bear Baloo, who teach him the “law of the jungle”. However, the idyll is shattered by the threat of wicked tiger Shere Khan and the question of where Mowgli really belongs.

The story explores themes of nature vs nurture, friendship and community, coming of age, and the relationship between humans and the natural world, and is filled with colourful characters and thrilling escapades.

Who wrote The Jungle Book?

The Jungle Book is by (Joseph) Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) who was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) to the art professor, illustrator, and museum curator John Lockwood Kipling and his wife, Alice. Kipling was raised on Indian folk tales by the family’s servants and experienced tensions between Indian and British identities at an early age. He was unhappily sent to England at the age of five and returned to India at 16, when it became clear he wasn't going to get into Oxford. He worked for several years as a journalist before moving to London in 1889, where he made his name as a short story writer.

Kipling’s most famous short story, “The Man Who Would Be King”, was published in 1888. The Jungle Book (featuring his “Mowgli” stories) was published in 1894 and The Second Jungle Book came a year later. His novel Kim, about the orphaned son of an Irish soldier surviving on his own India, appeared in 1901. The Just So Stories for Little Children (which originated as bedtime stories for his daughter Josephine, who died in 1899) were collected in 1902.

Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907. At his death in 1936, his body lay in state at Fitzrovia Chapel and his ashes are interred in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey. His legacy is complex but his skills as a storyteller remain as compelling as ever.

The story is adapted for the stage by Indian playwright Anupama Chandrasekhar. Chandrasekhar was the National Theatre’s first international playwright-in-residence from 2016-17 and she has previously worked with National Theatre artistic director Indhu Rubasingham on When the Crow Visits and The Father and the Assassin.

Where is The Jungle Book playing?

The Jungle Book* is playing in the Olivier Theatre in the National Theatre. The venue’s largest space, designed in the style of an amphitheatre with a fan-shaped auditorium, boasts an extraordinary intimacy despite its scale. The Olivier seats 1,110 audience members over two levels. Recent productions have included War Horse, Summerfolk, Ballet Shoes, and Bacchae.

When is The Jungle Book playing?

The Jungle Book is running from 13 November to 6 February 2027. Performances take place from Monday to Saturday at 7pm, with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1:30pm. Check LondonTheatre.co.uk’s The Jungle Book page for irregularities over the holiday period.

How long is The Jungle Book?

The running time for The Jungle Book is to be confirmed.

What is the age requirement for The Jungle Book?

The Jungle Book is aimed at ages 7-plus. The production contains depictions of death and violence.

Who is in the cast of The Jungle Book?

The Jungle Book is led by Hiran Abeysekera as Mowgli. Abeysekera previously starred at the National Theatre in Hamlet (which also played in New York) and The Father and the Assassin. He won an Olivier Award for Best Actor as Pi Patel in Life of Pi in 2022.

The cast also includes Sarah Amankwah, Darcy Braimoh, Sebastian Charles, Laura Cubitt, Fred Davis, Ayesha Dharker, Ali Goldsmith, Romina Hytten, Tony Jayawardena, Avye Leventis, Kel Matsena, Sifiso Mazibuko, and Jordan Metcalfe. “For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack”... ensemble work is everything!

Who is in the creative team of The Jungle Book?

The Jungle Book is directed by Indhu Rubasingham, artistic director of the National Theatre. Rubasingham’s productions at the National Theatre include Ugly Lies the Bone, Kerry Jackson, The Father and the Assassin, Bacchae, and The Misanthrope. Rubasingham was previously artistic director of the Kiln Theatre from 2012-23.

The production features set and design Rajha Shakiry (The Father and the Assassin), lighting design by Oliver Fenwick (Bacchae), and music by music by Fernando Velázquez, and puppetry by Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell of Lume (Game of Thrones: The Mad King).

Who are the characters in The Jungle Book?

The Jungle Book includes the following cast of characters:

• Mowgli: the protagonist, a boy raised by wolves in the jungle.
• Ma Bonbibi: the Lady of the Forest, the guardian spirit of the mangrove forest, worshipped by both Hindus and Muslims, who protects the creatures of this area. An addition for this adaptation.
• Akela: leader of the wolf pack and Mowgli’s first mentor.
• Bagheera: a cunning black panther, originally born into captivity.
• Baloo: a sloth bear and teacher of Mowgli and the wolf cubs.
• Shere Khan: the antagonist of the story, a tiger with a deformed leg.
• Kaa: a powerful snake.
• Hathi: head of the elephant troupe.
• Rikki-Tikki-Tavi: a daring mongoose.
• Bandar-log: a band of monkeys.

Is there a movie version of The Jungle Book?

There have been numerous films of The Jungle Book, the first of which was the 1947 adaptation directed by Alexander Korda that starred Sabu as Mowgli. Probably the best-loved version is the 1967 Disney animation, with its memorable songs by the Sherman Brothers.

Fun facts about The Jungle Book

• Joseph Rudyard Kipling was named after Lake Rudyard in Staffordshire, where his parents met.

• His mother Alice Kipling was the eldest of the four MacDonald sisters, daughters of a Wesleyan Methodist minister, all of whom contributed to the arts and married eminent men. Georgiana was married to the painter Edward Burne-Jones; Agnes to Royal Academy president Edward Poynter, and Louisa to the businessman and MP Alfred Baldwin (they were the parents of prime minister Stanley Baldwin).

• His father John Lockwood Kipling contributed the illustrations to the original edition of The Jungle Book.

• The Jungle Book influenced Kipling’s friend Robert Baden-Powell's Scouting movement (founded in 1907), in which troops are known as “packs” and adult leaders are named after Mowgli’s mentors, with activities based around the outdoors and survival skills.

• The salticid spider (“jumping spider”) genera Akela, Bagheera, Messua, and Nagaina were named after characters in The Jungle Book in 1896, with the species Bagheera kiplingi (a beautiful green variety) named after Kipling himself.

Book The Jungle Book tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk.

Photo credit: Hiran Abeysekera stars as Mowgli. (Photo by Chris Burgess)