The Birmingham Stage Company’s version of The Jungle Book is a bit of an eye-opener to anyone who knows the story only from Disney’s cute anthropomorphism.

The original story is far bloodier and Stuart Paterson’s adaptation does not spare us any of the gory details. Barb Jungr’s lyrics pick up on Tennyson’s dictum that nature is red in tooth and claw, and the production almost revels in the bloodiness of Kipling’s story – this is not for younger family members.

Samuel Hargreaves captures Mowgli’s transformation from boy to man, while Zephryn Taitte nimbly shifts from the amiable Bagheera to the villainous hunter Buldeo and back again. Peter Sowerbutts is a suitably malevolent Shere Khan, while Rob Hughes is a bluff, northern Baloo.

Director Neal Foster keeps the whole thing moving along well and while there are no show-stopping musical numbers from composer BB Cooper, the songs are well staged and effectively illustrate the story.

The only downside was the decision to put this show on the evening before a school day. The theatre was barely a quarter full, which was tough luck on the actors who put on a great show and tried desperately to get the audience involved.

It must have been galling to have so little response from the few children there but a few little voices will only go so far.

It was a shame such a bravura production elicited so little interaction, particularly for a show that brought the Sussex author’s best-known creations so vividly to life.