The swish Memorial Hall in Stanton Harcourt played host to the first performance of Oxfordshire Theatre Company’s new show, an engaging musical enjoyed by an audience of all ages.

OTC’s Jungle Book is different to the Disney film because this first-rate adaptation by Neil Duffield goes back to the Kipling story for its inspiration, and is all the better for that.

Following the adventures of Mowgli, lost in the jungle as a baby and brought up by wolves, Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther, it is an exciting story full of adventures — some funny, some more dark. The cast each play a variety of characters, interchanging between them very skilfully.

The considerable work that both the cast and movement director, Matt Bugg, must have put in to create such successful interpretations of jungle animals really pays off — I particularly loved the monkeys but every animal was very well realised. It is a great cast all round. Dougie Carter (above) is terrific as Mowgli, while Miles Western is suitably sinister as both Shere Kahn and the Cobra. Selina Zara is impressive both as Bagheera and Mowgli’s mum and Peter McCamley is a lovely Baloo and a hilarious Sargent Major.

Composer Matt Marks has created a great score, which is delivered very well by the cast — everyone seems to have their own special number. The music has a distinctly Indian flavour, which complements the text well. OTC’s Jungle Book is a great example of what is so special about live theatre. Director Karen Simpson has overseen a production where music, movement, performance and design create magic before your very eyes. The show will be popping up at villages around Oxfordshire until Christmas — for further details visit their website at www.oxfordshiretheatre company.co.uk