In October, Canadian Stage lights up the Bluma stage welcoming internationally acclaimed dancer/choreographer Akram Khan for the fourth time, with JUNGLE BOOK REIMAGINED. On stage for a limited run of five performances from October 12 – 14, JUNGLE BOOK REIMAGINED is an astounding piece of contemporary dance the whole family will love.

Based on the story by Rudyard Kipling, the world-renowned Khan has reinterpreted this classic tale from another perspective, through the lens of today’s children – those who will inherit our world and become our future storytellers.

With spectacular technology that turns the stage into a mythical world, this JUNGLE BOOK reimagines the journey of Mowgli through the eyes of a refugee caught in a world devastated by the impact of climate change. This family-friendly epic dance work speaks to all generations as a step to remind, to relearn and to reimagine a new world together. Featuring an original score by the BAFTA and Olivier Award-winning composer Jocelyn Pook, a cast of ten international dancers, and a stage bursting with state-of-the-art animation and visual projections, this is a JUNGLE BOOK with nuanced beauty and devastating immediacy that expresses a universal need for connection and a deep respect for the natural world.

“It is an honour to welcome Akram Khan to Canadian Stage for the fourth time, with this extraordinary new work,” says Canadian Stage Artistic Director Brendan Healy. “With JUNGLE BOOK REIMAGINED he takes a post-colonial perspective on this classic story and through it contemplates environmental crisis and our relationship to the land. It is a thrilling, large scale work featuring a big company of dancers in a narrative that sees animals reclaiming the world. It’s visually spectacular, emotionally rewarding, and I love that families will be able to enjoy this one together – I can’t think of a better way to kick-off the Bluma season.”

A stellar creative team has worked on the reimagining, with a script written by Tariq Jordan and dramaturgy by Sharon Clark. Sound design comes from Gareth Fry, lighting by Michael Hulls, visual stage design by Miriam Buether, and with video design and animation by YeastCulture, the visual technology turns the stage into a magical world that dives into the myths of today.

JUNGLE BOOK REIMAGINED is performed by Maya Balam Meyong, Bianca Chacon Mikahil, Tom Dunn, Harry Foster, Filippo Franzese, Maximilian Revell, Matthew Sandiford, Pui Yung Shum, Holly Vallis, Jan Mikaela Villanueva, and Luke Watson.

Tickets for JUNGLE BOOK REIMAGINED range from $39-$129. Single tickets are now available at www.canadianstage.com. This production runs from October 12th – 14th, with performances at 8:00pm as well as a 1:00pm matinee on the 13th and a 2:00pm matinee on the 14th.

For more information and tickets visit www.canadianstage.com.

Photo: Scene from Jungle Book Reimagined. ©2022 Ambra Venuccio.