Head into the Jungle with Oddsocks!
The Jungle Book at Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Saturday 7 January 2017
Oddsocks Productions are trekking into the jungle from November to bring to life Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale of adventure, mischief and monkeys. The Jungle Book tells the story of Mowgli and his friendships and foes amongst the leaves and life of the jungle. A story of ambition, trust and growing up: The Jungle Book has become one of the most popular children’s stories in literary history.
Set up by Andy Barrow and Elli Mackenzie, Oddsocks Productions is a critically acclaimed family enterprise taking its work out to diverse communities and audiences across the UK and Channel Islands. Touring indoor and outdoor venues throughout the year, Oddsocks have become established as one of the UK’s best-loved touring theatre companies with supporters in the thousands. For 27 years they’ve toured to countries as far afield as Jordan and Syria with their iconic style of comedy and chaos and this year promises to be no exception.
The Jungle Book guarantees an evening of laughter and mayhem as firm family favourites Oddsocks Productions give this iconic story the ‘Oddsocks spin’. What makes The Jungle Book Oddsocks’ next challenge? Oddsocks Producer Elli Mackenzie who’s adapted The Jungle Book for the stage in this jam-packed 3 month tour, explains why Oddsocks chose to reimagine this timeless classic: “We think it’s very topical, there’s obviously been the new film out recently and it’s a story that connects all of the generations. People who have children or grandchildren may
remember the original Disney film and their children may now have connected more strongly to this new version. We thought it’s a good opportunity to say ‘Disney does it one way, Oddsocks does it another!”
The Jungle Book was first published in 1894 and is Rudyard’s Kipling’s most popular title. Its sequel, the imaginatively named The Second Jungle Book published the following year never quite found success like its forerunner. To many, The Jungle Book is the 1967 Disney Film (which bares little resemblance to the original narrative) or the newly released 2016 CGI packed-paradise directed by Jon Favreau.
We asked Elli Mackenzie what can an audience expect from Oddsocks Productions’ The Jungle Book? “First and foremost, enjoyment! Escapism and losing yourself in the moment for a couple of hours, being transported to the heat of the jungle and leaving a few degrees warmer than when they went it to the theatre over the winter months!”
Oddsocks’ retelling promises to do all their own stunts, no CGI and it will all be in 3D without requiring glasses.
The Jungle Book plays at The Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road, York on Saturday 7 January at 7.30pm. Tickets available in person from the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, online at www.josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk , or on the phone by calling 01904 501935.
ENDS
Notes to Editors/Press Contact Details:
Set up 27 years ago by Andy Barrow and Elli Mackenzie, Oddsocks Productions is a critically acclaimed national touring theatre company that takes its work out to diverse communities across the UK. Its summer season celebrates the work of Shakespeare; in family friendly environments and spaces and during its winter season it tours traditional family productions.
Recent productions include The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet and Wind in the Willows. They are currently touring their winter 2016/17 production of The Jungle Book.
For high-res images, interviews, spokespeople please contact Hope Ward-Brown at
hope@oddsocks.co.uk tel: 01332 258328
