Bradford 2025: Akram Khan’s ‘Jungle Book reimagined’ – review

Jungle Book reimagined – Live at Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture. Credit Camilla Greenwell.

The hugely acclaimed Akram Khan Company performed as part of Bradford 2025, reimagining the ‘Jungle Book’ from the perspective of today’s children. 

Stepping into 2025, Akram Khan’s ‘Jungle Book reimagined’ feels more well timed and relevant than ever. The Akram Khan Company’s debut at Bradford 2025 City of Culture was one to remember: it was wildly entreating, beautiful and thought-provoking.

A delicate retelling of a beloved Victorian story, the setting is a not so far off post-apocalyptic Britain which has been ravaged by rising seas due to climate change. The historic Alhambra Theatre was pushed into the future with this production as a whole alternate world was created on stage, taking the main character Mowgli on an odyssey brought to life by the Akram Khan dancers. 

Jungle Book Reimagined. Credit Camilla Greenwell.

It was a treat to see this company in Bradford; the immense scale of the group seemed to be much larger than the theatre itself. The animals we know well from Rudyard Kipling’s novel were imaginatively recreated. Kaa the snake was made from delivery boxes, a sight we are all so used to seeing in our obsession with parcels delivered straight to our door. Enormous animated elephants interacted with the dancers on stage. Through voiceover and dance, Baloo added comedy to this post-apocalyptic world, which lightened the themes of climate change & environmentalism. The stage work and animation blended seamlessly together, immersing viewers in Khan’s larger than life storytelling. 

The music, composed by Jocelyn Pook, reflected the harmonious magnitude of nature and sent me back to how I felt reading The Jungle Book as a teen. There were also more electronic tracks, a nod to our growing dependence on technology and the possible corruption of the natural world through it. All these elements coming together absorbed the audience into Akram’s world.

Jungle Book Reimagined. Credit Camilla Greenwell.

As a young person, this play really struck a chord with me. This year we approach COP30, with still little to no change in our government’s attitude to the climate emergency. There were many young people in the audience and talking with people afterwards, I believe we all shared this same feeling. We are crying out for a future we can look forward to, for that doomsday clock to be reversed. ‘Jungle Book reimagined’ felt like a daring, timely production to encourage us to listen again. To look back to nature and know that we are a part of it – not separate. 

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You can catch Akram Khan again at Bradford in July, where he will be co-creating Memories of the Future.