Hiran Abeysekera plays Mowgli in The Jungle Book, the National Theatre's family show for the winter, with Kipling's animals brought to life by the puppeteers behind Life of Pi. Here is everything you need to know before you book.
The National Theatre's Christmas show has, in recent years, been one of the more reliable fixtures of a London winter, and this year it is a new one. The Jungle Book is Anupama Chandrasekhar's adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's stories, directed by Indhu Rubasingham in her first festive production since she took charge of the building. It has its world premiere in the Olivier on Friday 13 November 2026 and runs until Saturday 6 February 2027.
The headline is a reunion. Hiran Abeysekera won his Olivier as Pi, and the puppetry here is by Finn Caldwell and Nick Barnes of Lume, the pair who made the tiger in Life of Pi breathe. We reported the full company in September.
Who is starring in The Jungle Book?
Hiran Abeysekera is Mowgli and Kel Matsena plays the tiger, Shere Khan. Ayesha Dharker doubles as Raksha and Messua, Ankur Bahl as Kaa and Bijoy. Tony Jayawardena is Moti, Jordan Metcalfe plays Cat and Avye Leventis is Tabaqui, with Shaun Yusuf McKee as Devan, Valentine Hanson as the Mahout, Sasha Jagsi as Neela and Sharita Oomeer as the Stork.
The two great teachers are played by teams rather than single actors. Sarah Amankwah and Laura Cubitt share Bagheera, with Rebecca Killick and Sarah Mardel working the panther's heart, while Sebastian Charles and Azan Ahmed divide Baloo between them. The casting lists those roles as heads, hinds and hearts, which tells you how the larger animals are built. The company numbers 30.
Spotlight on Hiran Abeysekera
It was Life of Pi that made Hiran Abeysekera's name: he won the Olivier for Best Actor as Pi in the West End and then took the part to Broadway. At the National he has led Chandrasekhar's The Father and the Assassin, so this is the second time the writer and her director have built a play around him, and he went on to play Hamlet for the same theatre, a production that later travelled to Brooklyn. Mowgli is a different sort of demand. The part sits at the centre of a company of puppets and puppeteers, and much of what the audience believes about the animals will come from how he plays against them, which is exactly what he did opposite the tiger in Life of Pi. It is the strongest argument for booking The Jungle Book whatever the age of the people you are taking.
What is The Jungle Book about?
Chandrasekhar moves the story to the Sundarbans, the mangrove forests of the Ganges delta. Mowgli is a human child brought up by the creatures of the jungle, who learns its law from the bear Baloo and the panther Bagheera. All his life he has been hunted by the tiger Shere Khan, and the time is coming when he will have to face him and protect the only family and home he has known.
The production is recommended for ages seven and up, and the National notes that it contains themes of adoption.
Who is behind the production?
Indhu Rubasingham directs, renewing a partnership with Anupama Chandrasekhar that began with The Father and the Assassin. The puppetry is designed and directed by Finn Caldwell and Nick Barnes, and Caldwell is also the movement director. The design is by Rajha Shakiry, the original score is by the Spanish film composer Fernando Velázquez, the lighting is by Oliver Fenwick and the sound is by Benjamin Grant.
When and where can I see it?
The Jungle Book runs in the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre on the South Bank from Friday 13 November 2026 to Saturday 6 February 2027, with the press performance on Tuesday 24 November 2026. The schedule leans heavily on matinees, as befits a family show, and tickets currently start at £30. The running time has not yet been announced.
What else should I book if I like it?
- The Lion King, the other great animal coming-of-age story in London, and still the benchmark for puppetry on a big stage.
- Paddington: The Musical, for a second children's classic turned into a full-scale family show.
- Matilda The Musical, for a child who stands up to the grown-ups around her, with Tim Minchin's songs.
- The Snowman, the gentler Christmas option for the youngest members of the party.
