National Theatre
A contemporary take on a classic story
A beloved tale of family, courage and loyalty, The Jungle Book has been reimagined for the London stage. Known for ambitious, large-scale productions for audiences of all ages, the National Theatre has transformed its Olivier stage into the mangroves of eastern India for the show, which opened in autumn 2026.
The Jungle Book has been adapted by contemporary Indian playwright Anupama Chandrasekhar, who is based in Chennai, and directed by Indhu Rubasingham, the National Theatre’s Artistic Director. This spectacular retelling is framed through a contemporary lens, exploring the theme of nature versus nurture and showcasing puppetry on a scale unrivalled in National Theatre history.
Our grant of £150,000 covered the production and staging, helping to bring Indian culture and family-friendly theatre of the highest quality to audiences from around the world.
- The 95 performances of The Jungle Book are expected to reach a diverse and intergenerational audience of more than 80,000 people.
- On average, around 10% of National Theatre audiences are from global majority backgrounds. This production is expected to significantly exceed this, in part by engaging schools with diverse student populations.
- In 2025, the National Theatre’s Artistic Director Indhu Rubasingham joined the UK’s largest ever trade delegation to India. The National Theatre also co-hosted the High Commission of India’s first-ever event in collaboration with a UK national arts institution.
Open for all
The National Theatre’s family shows are often a young person’s first engagement with theatre and can play a vital formative role in their cultural experience. The Jungle Book aims to reach as many different groups of people as possible, with performances including dedicated school matinees, as well as adapted performances with audio description, British Sign Language interpretation and captions, and an inclusive, relaxed performance for neurodivergent audiences. The National Theatre is offering large numbers of subsidised tickets to schools. Other discounted tickets are available for 16-25 year olds, deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people, and older people.
This production of The Jungle Book reflects Indhu Rubasingham’s artistic vision to ‘bring the world to the National Theatre and to take the National Theatre to the world’ – developing, staging and celebrating work by international theatre-makers.
“It’s wonderful to be reuniting with Anupama for her new play as she reframes Kipling’s beloved tale. Setting it in the mangroves of the Sundarbans region of India gifts us such a rich environment to turn the Olivier theatre into a real theatrical event with extraordinary puppetry and performances at its heart. The Jungle Book is a beautiful and adventurous story about family, identity and belonging. I can’t wait for audiences to experience this thrilling new play.”
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