The Dukes in Lancaster have today announced the full cast for their annual Summer ‘Play in the Park’ at Lancaster’s Williamson Park, which this year will be The Jungle Book from Friday 22 July – Sunday 28 August.
The Dukes has been entertaining generations of families with their summer promenade shows since 1987, attracting a total of more than half a million people. The promenade production, which will be performed Tuesdays-Sundays at 7:15pm, will see audiences guided through a transformed Williamson Park where audiences travel across locations within the park as they follow the story.
Step into the jungle of Lancaster’s Williamson Park as this adventurous story is told by our heroic wolves, cheeky monkeys and jungle creatures as you are led through all the twists and turns of this famous story adapted by Andrew Pollard.
With the enchanting park as their backdrop, this epic setting for the story of Mowgli, Baloo and the fearsome villains Shere Kahn & Kaa is told as you follow the drama by moving from one wonderful jungle location to another.
Adapted by Andrew Pollard and directed by Sarah Punshon, who both worked on last year’s acclaimed production of Grimm Tales, the cast for The Jungle Book are: Pushpinder Chani (Midnight’s Children) as Bagheera, Lisa Howard as Shere Khan, Helen Longworth (The Archers) as Baloo, Purvi Parma as Akela and Jason Patel as Mowgli.
The Dukes’ Director, Karen O’Neill said: “Our annual Play in the Park, this year will be ‘The Jungle Book’, and we are all thrilled. Once again the Dukes will be making our way to Williamson Park from July to the end of August, with an amazing creative and technical team and electrifying cast all working together to make this incredible show happen. We are so pleased to be back in the park working with the team there and Lancaster City Council on this annual family highlight! We cannot wait to welcome audiences old and young alike to join us on this new retelling of a classic tale.”
This year’s promenade production is sponsored by Lancaster BID and Supported by Lancaster University, Lancaster City Council and Arts Council England
