On Monday 21 March the cast of Oldham Coliseum Theatre’s The Jungle Book took a break from rehearsals to practise their climbing and do some team bonding at Oldham’s Summit Up climbing centre.

A modern musical adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic coming of age story, The Jungle Book is the perfect Easter treat for the whole family, running at Oldham Coliseum from Thursday 7 - Sunday 24 April.

Cast members Jason Patel (Mowgli), Neil Hurst (Baloo), Sam Yetunde (Bagheera), Gareth Morgan (Shere Khan), Ebony Feare (Raksha) and Tarek Slater (Hiran/Mugger) spent an exhilarating afternoon in the Summit Up Clip ‘n’ Climb area, where they took on the various climbing challenges and supported each other to conquer new heights. Showing their mettle, Jason and Tarek also challenged themselves to take on the Leap of Faith.

Summit Up opened in Oldham town centre in September 2021. The centre aims to inspire and motivate all ages to be active and ambitious, with an accessible and inclusive experience for all the family, from complete novices though to seasoned climbers. Alongside Clip ‘n’ Climb the centre hosts traditional climbing, a speed wall, bouldering and Valoclimb.

Summit Up Marketing Manager Emma Curnow said: “Both Oldham Coliseum and Summit Up are fantastic family venues in the heart of the town, and we are delighted to have partnered with the theatre for this photo shoot ahead of their upcoming production of The Jungle Book.”

Perhaps best known for the Disney animated version, The Jungle Book was originally a collection of short stories written by Rudyard Kipling in 1894. This new musical adaptation by Olivier Award winning writer Jessica Swale with original songs by Joe Stilgoe explores the universal themes of family, belonging and identity.

The Jungle Book is the first family show that the Coliseum has produced outside of the festive season for over a decade. The theatre is famous for its annual pantomime and is building upon this with another joyous theatre experience for all ages.

The Coliseum’s production is The Jungle Book as you’ve never seen it before, set by designer Katie Scott in an urban jungle playground, where you might just bump into Bagheera or Baloo at the skate park instead of the watering hole.  

Audiences can book 2For1 tickets to Wednesday – Friday performances of The Jungle Book at the Coliseum as part of The National Lottery’s Love Your Local Theatre campaign. Flexible family ticket discounts are available for all performances.