The Jungle Book

About

The Lewes and Hassocks based Drama Collective Junior and Youth groups are excited to present a variety of tales inspired by Indian inspired legends on Sunday, the 8th of February 2026 in Lewes.

The Four Friends.
Presented by Hassocks Drama Collective Junior Club and Youth Group.
Written and directed by Tim Rowland.

Inspired by Panchatantra, a collection of ancient Indian fables, this short performance features four animals who lived in a jungle and end up helping each other to save each others lives. Our performers hope to enchant you with their take on this story, of which the written version is believed to originate from Sanskrit verse and prose that dates back to 300 BCE.

By portraying how individuals with different capabilities and talents can become friends, and use their differences to be strong together, we learn about their compassion, respect and teamwork and see how it is possible to be united whatever the situation is.

The Panchatantra itself is a niti-shastra, or textbook of niti which is understood to encompass the wise conduct of life. The word Panchatantra is a combination of the words Pancha which means five in Sanskrit, followed by tantra and essentially carries the meaning of interweaving five threads of traditions and teachings into a text. The text is attributed to Vishnu Sharma, who made "masters of the art of intelligent living out of three foolish princes" hundreds of years ago.

The Jungle Book
Presented by Lewes Drama CollectiveSaturday Theatre Group.
Directed by Tim Rowland.

Adapted by Stuart Paterson, a master of childrens theatre (Scotsman), this adaptation, which was first staged by Birmingham Stage Company in 2004, navigates through themes that many audience members will have experienced in their lives already, from identity, friendship and growing up - this event promises to offer a fantastically captivating afternoon for all ages!

"A top-class production, a tropical cocktail of intense and comical moments, shaken and stirred with heart-stopping dangers and surprises."
Daily Telegraph

Follow Mowgli as he learns the Laws of the Jungle from Baloo the bear and Bagheera the panther so that he may survive the jaws of Shere Khan the ferocious tiger. Mowgli, the brave little man cub, grows into a confident and care-free young boy. However, danger is never far away and Shere Khan is hungry for revenge. As Mowgli faces each challenge, he must decide whether he belongs in the animal kingdom or indeed, the world of men.

"This exhilarating production ticks all the boxes for families looking for an uplifting treat."
Time Out

Bring your family and friends to experience this wonderful re-imagination of Kiplings much-loved story in a vibrant and colourful family adventure thats full of surprises!

We are proud to advise that this amateur production will be performed, by arrangement with Nick Hern Books, by a brilliant bunch of talented children, tweens and teens from East and West Sussex.

Due to limited capacity, we encourage you to book your tickets before they all sell out for this one-time-only showing of these fantastical tales.

Timings
Doors will open at 1:30pm and the show will aim to start promptly at 2pm.
The interval usually takes place after about 1 hour to 80 minutes after the show begins.
The interval usually lasts for 15 to 20 minutes.
The performance would usually finish by 5:30pm to 6pm at the latest.
Please note that times may vary on the day.

Interval
During this comfort break our fabulous volunteers will be serving freshly made cakes, coffee, tea and soft drinks and selling raffle tickets to support these community-led performing arts groups.

Venue information
These productions will be presented on stage in Lewes, East Sussex at the wonderful multi-purpose community venue, the All Saints Centre on Friars Walk, Lewes.

Photography / Filming
This performance does not allow photography or filming at any time.

Notice of flashing lights
Please note that there may be flashing lights and loud sounds at certain points in the performance and some children aged under 5 years old may be a little frightened at times. However, it is ultimately at your own discretion and we will not turn anyone away at the door.