EXTRACT ONE (Act 1, Sc 1)
SOUND EFFECT: DISTANT TIGER ROAR. ANIMALS freeze in horror
ANIMAL 2
What was that?
ANIMAL 1
I know that roar.
ANIMAL 3
Is he c-coming this way?
OTHER ANIMALS EXIT in noisy fear and confusion to the nearest exit as
ENTER TABAQUI and JACKALS
ANIMAL 1
Tabaqui - how nice to see you.
TABAQUI
Of course it is.
ANIMAL 3
Would you like some of our f-food?
TABAQUI (INSPECTING IT) You are joking of course. I only eat proper food – not
the pitiful pickings of half witted creatures.
ANIMAL 2
We like it.
TABAQUI
Of course you do.
JACKAL 1
Why did they all scarper?
ANIMAL 3
They’re f-frightened.
TABAQUI
F-frightened of whom? Moi?
ANIMAL 1
Of course not you.
TABAQUI (ADVANCING MENACINGLY ON ANIMAL 1) “Of course not you.”
JACKAL 2
Who then?
ANIMAL 3
Sh-sh-shee …
TABAQUI
Spit it out lad.
JACAKL 3
We haven’t got all day.
ANIMAL 1
He means Shere Khan.
ANIMAL 2
We heard him. He’s around here somewhere.
TABAQUI (TO THE JACKALS) Have we seen the great Shere Khan, girls?
JACKALS (SHAKING THEIR HEADS IN UNISON) Uh-huh.
TABAQUI
Sorry guys, can’t help you.
ANIMAL 1
But you always know where he is, Tabaqui.
TABAQUI
Do I?
ANIMAL 1
You’re always following him around.
TABAQUI (INDIGNANTLY) I am not. I follow no-one. Others follow me.
ANIMAL 2
But you work for him.
TABAQUI
I work for nobody. But I do sometimes work with him.
ANIMAL 3
What’s the d-d-difference?
TABAQUI
All the d-d-difference in the world – Banana Brain. We are
partners.
ANIMAL 1
If you’re partners why don’t you know where he is?
TABAQUI
I do know.
ANIMALS wait for an explanation
It’s a secret.
ANIMAL 2
Why?
TABAQUI (UNCERTAINLY) Because everybody wants him.
JACKAL 1
Everyone admires him.
JACKAL 2
He’s so popular.
JACKAL 3
So trendy.
TABAQUI
Have you ever seen him – close to, I mean?
ANIMALS shake their heads
TABAQUI
Of course you haven’t. He doesn’t want dregs like you
looking at him.
JACKAL 1
He is the most debonair animal in the jungle.
JACKAL 2
He has real style.
JACKAL 3
Real flair.
TABAQUI
Never a hair out of place. He constantly checks his
appearance because he is a slave to fashion.
EXTRACT 2: (Act 1, Sc 3)
AKELA
So this is the man cub.
RAKSHA
He is called Mowgli
AKELA
Look well. Look well O wolves.
SHERE KHAN
What have the Free People to do with a man’s cub?
AKELA (IGNORING HIM) Look well. Look well O wolves
SHERE KHAN
The cub is mine. Give him to me.
TABAQUI
Listen to the Mighty Shere Khan.
SHERE KHAN
Akela, what does the Law of the Jungle say when there is a
dispute?
RAKSHA
Dispute on what?
SHERE KHAN
On whether a cub should be accepted by the Pack?
TABAQUI
He must be spoken for by at least two members of the Pack.
SHERE KHAN
Is that not correct, Akela?
AKELA
It is. Who speaks for this cub?
FATHER WOLF
I speak for him.
RAKSHA
And so do I.
TABAQUI (WITH SNEERING AUTHORITY) You can’t. It has to be two who are not
his guardians.
SILENCE. ALL look around but there is no-one.
RAKSHA
Is there no-one?
TABAQUI
Apparently not. What a shame! What a pity!
RAKSHA
I shall not let him go,
AKELA
You have no choice, Raksha.
SHERE KHAN
Precisely. Bring the man cub here
Two WOLVES look to AKELA for approval and lead MOWGLI to SHERE
KHAN. BALOO ENTERS from behind the rock. HE stretches and yawns and
scratches himself
BALOO
As sleep is obviously impossible with all this commotion, let me
speak for the man cub.
BALOO walks around MOWGLI inspecting him
TABAQUI
Keep out of this bear.
BALOO
I see no harm in the man cub so I will speak for him. Let him run
with the Pack, I say. I will teach him the Law of the Jungle and
the ways of all creatures.
WOLVES bring MOWGLI back to BALOO who talks to him
AKELA
Baloo has spoken and he is the teacher of all our cubs. Who
shall speak alongside him?
SHERE KHAN
There is no-one else.
RAKSHA
There must be.
TABAQUI
I don’t think so.
AKELA
Is there no-one else will join Baloo?
SILENCE
SHERE KHAN (LOOKING AROUND) Sadly no. Bring him to me.
WOLVES grab MOWGLI again and lead him to SHERE KHAN. FATHER
WOLF tries to comfort RAKSHA. ENTER BAGHEERA springing from his
hiding place
TABAQUI
Where did he spring from?
BAGHEERA (PROWLING) I have no right in your assembly.
TABAQUI
No right at all. Go away. Shoo!
BAGHEERA
No more right than a jackal or a tiger. But the Law of the Jungle
says that the life of a cub may be bought. Is that not so?
AKELA
That is correct.
TABAQUI
What is he talking about?
SHERE KHAN
Listen!
TABAQUI
I’m listening. I’m listening.
BAGHEERA
And the Law does not state who may or may not pay the price.
AKELA
You are right Bagheera.
BAGHEERA
To kill such a small creature would be a shame. He will barely
be sufficient for one meal. Besides, he will be better sport when
he is grown. Baloo has spoken on his behalf. To Baloo’s word I
will add one bull – fat and newly-killed - if you accept the man
cub into the Pack.
AKELA
A bull you say?
BAGHEERA
Freshly killed and sufficient for you all.
TABAQUI (ASIDE TO SHERE KHAN) What are we waiting for?
SHERE KHAN
I want the man cub.
TABAQUI
I know, I know. But a freshly killed bull …
SHERE KHAN
I’ll tear your throat out if you say another word.
TABAQUI
On the other hand, we have our principles.
AKELA
What is the wish of the Pack?
WOLF 1
Why should we kill the man cub?
WOLF 2
He will scorch in the sun before that.
WOLF 1
He will die, come winter.
WOLF 2
Let him run with the Pack.
Murmurs of approval
AKELA
Welcome to the Pack.. You may join the others.
BALOO (TO MOWGLI) There is so much I am going to teach you, man cub. Firstly…
EXIT BALOO, BAGHEERA, MOWGLI and CUBS. FATHER WOLF cuddles
RAKSHA. AKELA comes down from the rock. HE and the WOLVES EXIT
SHERE KHAN (ROARING) He is mine. By the Law of the Jungle the man cub is
mine. He shall live to fear me. And one day I shall claim him.
Listen well O Pack of Wolves.
TABAQUI
That’s telling ‘em.
SHERE KHAN (MENACINGLY ADVANCING ON HIM) Do you wish to part company
with your throat?
TABQUI
Sorreee.
SHERE KHAN
He was so nearly mine.
TABAQUI
Never mind. Tomorrow is another day. My mother always said.
EXTRACT ONE (Act 1, Sc 5)
KAA
There is abs-solutely no doubt about it. I am beautiful.
S-stunningly beautiful; s-sylphlike and s-slinky. I declare this
new coat is ten times better that that old thing. (KICKS THE OLD
SKIN OFF STAGE) It has taken me days of writhing and ssliding and s-stretching but it was worth it. (SPOTS BAGHEERA
and BALOO) Why – hello boys.
BAGHEERA
And greetings to you, Kaa.
KAA (DISPLAYING HER TAIL) What do you think boys-s?
BALOO (STILL BREATHLESS) Terrible.
KAA
What!
BALOO
Shocking. Absolutely disgraceful.
KAA
Is he deliberately trying to get under my s-skin?
BAGHEERA
I don’t think so.
KAA
Then why is he s-saying s-such dis-sturbing things to dis-stress
me? Why has he not notis-sed the s-silken s-sheen of my sshiny new coat?
BAGHEERA (REALISING) Ah I see. Sorry. It’s beautiful. Isn’t it Baloo?
(POINTEDLY) Kaa’s beautiful new skin?
BALOO
The whole thing is a nightmare.
BAGHEERA kicks BALOO
BALOO
Ow! That really hurt. What did you do that for? (FOLLOWING
BAGHEERA’S GAZE) Oh that! M’m … it was so … beautiful. I
couldn’t find the right words.
KAA (APPROACHING HIM) You’re not just s-saying that are you?
BALOO
Me? No – of course not. It’s just that …
KAA (EYEBALLING HIM) “Just that” what exactly?
BALOO
It’s just that it’s wonderful and shiny and … (PETERS OUT)
KAA
And what?
BALOO
And … Very … long.
BAGHEERA
Not too long of course.
BALOO
The thing is, Kaa, we need your help.
KAA
What for?
BALOO
To find someone.
BAGHEERA
But I don’t suppose – with your new coat – you’d want to help
us, in case it get spoilt.
KAA
It won’t s-spoil? It’s s-specially treated.
BALOO
You see it’s the Banderlog.
KAA
What is?
BAGHEERA
They have kidnapped our man cub.
KAA
The Banderlog! Dreadful creatures-s that s-swing all over the
place and drop things. They drop all sorts of things on me..
(SHUDDERS) Disgusting.
BALOO
It’s very serious.
KAA
Of course it’s serious. Do you take me for a nincompoop?
BALOO
I don’t know what a nincompoop is.
BAGHEERA
We need your help to rescue him.
KAA
Where have they taken him?
BALOO
We don’t know.
KAA
In that case how can I possibly help you? Sorry. Now if you’ll
excuse me, I must clean my coat. It has a s-speck of dust on it.
BALOO
How can you think of your silly …
ENTER CHIL. (S)he stares at the others and studies them curiously
CHIL (COUGHING POLITELY) Hello-o. Anyone at home? Ahem! Which one of
you is Baloo?
BAGHEERA (RISING) He is.
BALOO (HEAD HIDDEN) I is.
CHIL
I have a message from the man cub.
BALOO (SPRINGING UP) What is it?
CHIL
I’ll tell you. There I am, you see, drifting on the warm currents in
the afternoon breeze. Minding my own business as you do. Not
a care in the world and what happens? I’ll tell you. I hear this
terrible rumpus below me – all screeching and shouting – so
unnecessary. What’s going on down there I say to myself. So I
zoom down and take a gander. And what do I see? I’ll tell you. I
see dozens of those ghastly monkey people swinging through
the trees. And what do you think they have got with them?
BAGHEERA
A man cub.
CHIL
A man …You’re uncanny you are. Yes a man cub. And he’s in
a terrible state. And I can hear him saying something
CHIL mouths the words and the OTHERS strain to hear what she is saying
CHIL
Can’t quite hear him. But eventually it dawns on me. He was
saying … now what was it?
BALOO
You’re supposed to remember messages.
CHIL
I remember being very impressed.
BALOO
I’ll impress my paw on your beak in a moment.
CHIL
Touchy, touchy. (TURNS TO BAGHEERA) I’ll tell you. You look
more reasonable than him. He says “we be of one blood you
and I.” But he says it in my language. Such a talent.
BALOO
I knew he’d remember.
CHIL (HUFFILY)
I hadn’t finished actually. (TO BAGHEERA) He tells me to mark
his trail which of course I do. And then to find him (POINTS TO
BALOO) Though quite why I bother.
BAGHEERA
Where have they taken him?
CHIL
The Cold Lairs. (SHUDDERS) Awful place. Quite makes your
feathers stand on end.
BALOO
What are the Cold Lairs?
KAA
An old palace, deep in the most dreadfully dreary part of the
jungle. Almost impenetrable – unless you know whither to sslither.