Forty years since it first premiered in Australia, CATS, the iconic musical, is back at the very same venue where it originally opened, the Theatre Royal. With a masterfully executed production, the current creative team successfully celebrates this incredible anniversary. With strong power and energy, they reassert the unique charm of this show and prove it still resonates with today’s audiences.
Based on a collection of poems by T.S. Eliot – Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats – and set to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s now legendary score, CATS is far from a conventional musical. Escaping a traditional narrative, it invites us into a singular evening with an exquisitely eclectic tribe of felines: the Jellicles. Their deeply meaningful gathering, the Jellicle Ball, culminates in the selection of one cat. Chosen by the tribe’s elder, Old Deuteronomy, they will ascend to the Heaviside and be reborn to a new Jellicle life.
This unusual premise, despite its abstract nature, continues to strike a chord with audiences worldwide. With 21 continuous years on the West End, 18 years on Broadway and produced in over 50 countries, it has well and truly reached cultural sensation status.
Originally directed by Trevor Nunn, Associate Director and Choreographer Chrissie Cartwright is at the helm of this Australian production. She exhibits an undeniable admiration and profound respect for the material. Her vision ensures the Jellicle tribe has never looked or sounded more vibrant.
Alan Walker’s execution of the set stays true to John Napier’s design: a meticulously crafted junkyard under the midnight moonlight. Offering plenty of ingeniously concealed hiding spots, this is the perfect playground for the Jellicles. They appear and disappear with astonishing fluidity throughout the evening.
The stage comes to life as the lights slowly dim. Having the cats enter the stage through the aisles is a very clever touch, adding to a full immersion, crucial to the show’s success. Adding to the full effect, Karen Dawson’s make-up, Billy Roache’s costumes and Kellie Ritchie’s wigs bring us expertly crafted cats, successfully recreating the Jellicles’ original and iconic 80s aesthetics.
Movements are carefully thought through and precisely executed. It is when the cats roam the stage together that the show shines the most. In what could easily come across as forced or unnatural, Cartwright gives us masterful numbers where it is often easy to forget these are still humans on stage.
There is more complexity to this show than meets the eye. With such a vast array of dance styles, emotions and genres, it requires perfect unity and top talent to reach its full intended effect. The cast assembled for this production brings absolute grade A levels and delivers the perfect 40-year tribute, as intended.
The clever lighting design, expertly delivered by Howard Eaton and following David Hersey’s original vision, enables stunning transitions from the junkyard’s grit to surreal, dreamlike moments. The eye-popping tap-dancing Old Gumbie Cat routine, choreographed by Bill Deamer, is a prime example of such moments. Leigh Archer, returning to CATS as Jennyanydots and going by the nickname Gumbie, commands the stage. She effortlessly leads the full company through this classic big Broadway showstopper.
Moments later, the heat levels soar with Des Flanagan’s Tugger and his incredibly sexy Rum Tum Tugger. The highly technical choreography appears utterly natural, a testament to the precision of this production. As each number unfolds, the quality of the dancing transports us deeper into this fantastical illusion.
The line between dancing and circus is often blurred, reaching truly dazzling acrobatic heights when Claudia Hastings’ white cat Victoria is in the spotlight. Her mesmerising flexibility, delicately combined with a genuine interpretation of feline motion, is a marvel to behold.
Well-timed comical relief is interspersed throughout. Australian favourite Todd McKenney, also returning to the Jellicle universe, is infectiously glorious on stage. First, as the very well-fed Bustopher Jones. And later in the second act as the aging theatre cat, Asparagus.
McKenney’s impeccable comedic timing draws laughs easily. In Gus the Theatre Cat, he shares the stage with the incredibly talented Lucy Maunder. As Jellylorum, Maunder delivers an impactful performance, her crystal-clear vocals pairing perfectly with McKenney’s.
Jake O’Brien and Savannah Lind bring mischievous delight as the prankish, cheekily swirling Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, providing scrumptious, giggle-inducing moments. Jarrod Draper is excellent as Munkustrap. He gracefully takes us through the story with just enough exposition to ensure we fully grasp the momentous occasion that these cats are readying for.
In a show-stopping moment, Axel Alvarez takes us through a ballet detour with his Mr Mistoffelees’ magic routine. (Dance styles are fantastically intertwined throughout the whole show.) One incredible spin after another, he flies across the stage as if completely weightless. He rightfully triggered a mini standing ovation on opening night.
The cats prowl, leap and pop out of a discarded oven or from under the bonnet of a dilapidated car. It is visually stunning. We take a couple of dark turns as the villainy Macavity, menacingly portrayed by Edward Smith, sends the Jellicles skittering away. The total blackout that ensues is another showcase of the smart lighting design. Our cats resort to a single torchlight to find and bring back their abducted leader. The production ingeniously plays with shadow effects, adding yet another dimension to the show.
With his Old Deuteronomy, Mark Vincent equips this old and wise leader with the necessary operatic gravitas to preside over this sacred occasion. Throughout the Journey to the Heaviside Layer, he is particularly effective. He manages to bring our focus back to the main ceremony after multiple detours in such a genre-varied journey.
CATS is undeniably associated with, and sometimes unfairly reduced to, a single number: Memory. With so many artists having recorded their own interpretations, it has reached undeniable hall of fame status. This is the moment many audience members come to see. They will have to wait until close to the end of the second act to be rewarded. Gabriyel Thomas, who plays the ostracised Grizabella, is the one tasked with delivering this incredibly famous and long-awaited ballad.
From her first tentative paw on stage, her look distinctly sets her apart from the bubbly and colour-popping rest of the tribe. Thomas is instantly convincing as the once-glamorous, now cast-out feline. Opportunities to convey her anguish to rejoin the tribe are limited. Yet, her impactful glances and the powerhouse vocals from her very first notes immediately assure us that her big moment to come will be unforgettable.
Anyone who has ever lived as an outsider, judged for their differences, will resonate deeply with Grizabella. With her ragged fur and the otherwise charming Jellicles hissing and scratching in her direction whenever she gets near, her soaring rendition of Memory strikes straight to the heart. It is a powerful reminder that beauty indeed lies within. Those quick to judge should think twice before spraying their catty hatred. As Thomas hit her final notes, the crowd erupted into well-deserved thunderous cheers on opening night.
With another Lloyd Webber classic, Sunset Boulevard, recently dominating the last Broadway season with its radical reimagining, it is tempting to ponder what a similar treatment might yield for CATS. But for now, presented with such brilliance and incredible talent, and with such unwavering respect and admiration for its enduring material, this latest production offers not just a homage, but a compelling invitation to fall in love with this legendary phenomenon all over again.
CATS the Musical runs to 6 September at the Theatre Royal, 108 King Street Sydney.
It then tours to Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Tickets: https://catsthemusical.com.au/tickets/sydney/
Website: https://catsthemusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/catsthemusicalau/
Photo credits: Daniel Boud
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One response to “Review: Cats The Musical Is Back On Stage And Better Than Ever”
I found cats the musical in Sydney at the royal theatre wasn’t has good as last time I had seen it at the civic theatre in Newcastle as this time I found the stage to small and the actors and actress did play with audiences as much and the shorten the whole production but other then that I still had I good time so I hope when cats comes back to Australia it’ll be big and better as it use to be