Beast in the Jungle

Official dates to be confirmed

Cabaret and Chicago musical composer John Kander is seeing something of a revival in recent years; in addition to his upcoming Off-Broadway project Kid Victory, he is currently in the middle of creating a new dance-based musical, helmed by choreographer and director Susan Stroman. Beast In The Jungle, based on the 1903 Henry James novella marks their second collaboration in theatre, following the hugely successful staging of 2010's Broadway smash The Scottsboro Boys, which later transferred across the Atlantic to London's West End.

A cautionary tale - against overcautiousness!

Based on Henry James' cautionary tale, we follow the life of the overly tentative John Marcher, who strongly believes that he is being stalked by an unknown, terrible event yet to befall him. Dubbing it his "Beast In The Jungle", he tiptoes through an unremarkable life, forsaking any happiness or adventure. However, in the twilight years he comes to the awful conclusion that the beast in question was of his own making - his paralysing fear that robbed him of a wonderful life with the woman of his dreams.

John Kander was one half of the revolutionary musical duo that created the dark and gritty musicals of Cabaret and Chicago during the 1970s, re-inventing the genre for new audiences with a taste of realism. Following Fred Ebb's death in 2004, Kander's work has continued to draw in new fans, never losing sight of the realistic themes of life.