Last Updated on August 8, 2026
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s beloved feline fantasy is back in a dazzling new production that prowls, pounces and ultimately leaves you purring with delight.
5.0 out of 5.0 starsIt can’t be easy bearing the responsibility of bringing one of the most successful and iconic musicals of all time back to the London stage (where it ran for 21 years from 1981 to 2002). There are those who have never seen the point of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS; who harbour an almost visceral dislike of it and will not be swayed no matter what tweaks are made. And then there is the loyal and deeply devoted fan base who will by default dislike any changes made to the original. So in many ways it is an enterprise doomed to make nobody happy. And yet director and choreographer Drew McOnie has just about pulled off the impossible with his lovingly refreshed production of CATS at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre.
In the interests of full disclosure, I am firmly Team CATS. Back in 1989 it was the first musical I ever saw in the West End and I went on to see this original production three times in is original home, the New London Theatre. Nothing I had seen in theatres before prepared me for the sheer delight of John Napier’s outsize junkyard set (designed to make the human audience feel cat-sized); the rotating stage that also included the front rows of the stalls; or the performers in cat costume slinking down the gangways and in amongst the audience, pausing to eyeball those seated at the end of rows. You may roll your eyes and argue that none of this sounds ground-breaking – but considering that CATS first opened in 1981 (the year Ronald Reagan was shot, and Charles and Diana got married!), it is easy to underestimate just how ambitiously innovative the original production was and how it has impacted stagecraft. It was truly the first megamusical than became a global brand.
CATS is unusual in many ways, not least for the fact that its original lyrics comprise a collection of poetry published in 1939. In the 1930s, renowned English poet TS Eliot wrote a number of letters and poems to his godchildren beautifully describing his own cats (including one named Jellylorum) and a series of fictional feline characters, which was later published as the collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. Anybody familiar with Eliot’s other works will understand how extraordinarily different these poems are, imbued with a lightness and wit almost entirely absent from his other darker poems. They are strongly driven by rhythm and metre and hugely reward being read out loud. It was this, together with their playful tone, that moved Lord Webber to start setting them to music in the late 1970s. They were originally intended and performed as a song cycle, but original director Trevor Nunn and choreographer Gillian Lynne were later brought on board to shape them into a full theatrical production, expanding some songs, adding a few, and overlaying Lynne’s iconic choreography. Ignorance of this genesis, I think, underlies one of the most persistent criticism of CATS (it’s lack of storyline). It’s not a story set to music – it is essentially a collection of sung poetry set to dance.
The premise is that we are witnessing the annual gathering of the Jellicle cats under a full moon, where their matriarch Old Deuteronomy will choose the cat worthy of being reborn into a new life (a.k.a. ascending to the Heaviside Layer, a symbolic place of rebirth, transcendence and renewal. (Incidentally, Eliot’s terms Jellicle Cats and Pollicle Dogs were his playful poking fun at the English upper classes fussing over their “dear little” cats and “poor little” dogs!) To be in with a chance of rebirth, various cats are presented to the kitty convocation (and the audience) in the form of humorous songs about their exploits. Just before dawn, Deuteronomy must choose the cat who gets a chance of a new life – but the fun happens along the way as each candidate cat sings their own praises (literally) or is sung about by the other cats, interspersed with joyous full cast numbers like Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats and the emotionally raw Memory.
Three things struck me returning to the show after 25 years: the brilliance and intricacy of Lord Webber’s score; how deeply rooted the lyrics are in real London locations (Tottenham Court Road, Royal Albert Dock etc); and just how physical and dance-driven the show is. And the cast is more than equal to the task of doing justice to both the music and the movement. The score sparkles and the offstage band is absolutely wonderful. The sound quality is outstanding and often it is hard to believe this is a live band and not a backing track, especially given that it is an outdoor venue. Gillian Lynne’s original choreography was based on classical ballet but combined with modern jazz and contemporary dance, a way of turning human dancers into believable, expressive, otherworldly cats. For the new production, McOnie has reworked the choreography to incorporate more elements of contemporary and street dance – even breakdancing – while moving away slightly from the dancers emulating real cats. I was not a great fan of a breakdancing Mr Mistoffelees (impressive as though Jet Yau’s dancing was), but I can see that the shift in emphasis might bring a younger audience into the theatre. Overall the dancing whether as a solo, a duet or the full cast numbers was crisp, precise and beautifully executed. There are some lyrically beautiful scenes where the full cast lies down in a circle or to form an ascending line which slowly unfurls as they stand up. Elsewhere there are impressively choreographed high-energy sequences which is often where the more aggressive contemporary moves have been introduced. Look out for a standout athletic performance by Diante Lodge as that “fiend in feline shape” Macavity, and look out for the ring of fire!
The vocals too are generally very strong from the entire cast, both when singing as a chorus and as solo numbers. Standout performances and moments include Elliot Broadfoot’s charmingly large and affable Bustopher Jones; Briana Craig and Danny Nattrass as the cheeky flatcap-wearing cockney pair scoundrels Rumpleteazer and Mungojerrie; and my personal favourite Gary Wilmot as Gus the Theatre Cat. Gary also plays Growltiger in a play-within-a-play, “Growltiger’s Last Stand” which is occasionally cut from the production but I was thrilled to see it has found its way back. Not only are the words beautiful but the staging was cleverly done, with a sailbarge magically appearing on stage surrounded by Chinese junk sails. It also features one of my favourite comically feline moments of the night where Griddlebone is distracted by a shiny cat toy.
Jaydon Vijn’s Rum Tum Tugger is the love child of a swaggering young Mick Jagger and Timothee Chalamet, giving his character the perfect blend of sass and feline insouciance; while Melanie La Barrie adds a wonderful gravitas and empathy in her role as the matriarch Old Deuteronomy – she has such a lovely warm timbre to her voice. But jewel in the vocal crown was definitely Taziva-Faye Katsande who performed the role of Grizabella on the press night (Rachael Wooding is listed in the programme). Katsande’s talent for expressive physical storytelling was put through its paces in her portrayal of sad Grizabella, the ex-glamour cat fallen on hard times and shunned by the rest of the Jellicle tribe. She also gets to perform the show’s runaway hit “Memory”, a song that demands vocal control and range to move from the quiet, almost spoken bridge and shift gear into the dramatic climax and iconic high notes. Katsande not only smashed the vocal performance but also evoked real emotion – dear reader, I had goosebumps.
I was sad to see the demise of John Napier’s original costumes: the tabby-stripe or tuxedo leotards; iconic furry headpieces with anatomically correct cat ears; leg warmers; and soft cotton ropes tied around performers’ waists as makeshift tails. In the new production, only Gus the Theatre Cat for some reason retains his furry headpiece. The others are replaced with much smaller smooth caps adorned with ears that don’t really look very cat-like. Sami Fendell’s new leotards are also less colourful and less cat-like, which makes some characters harder to distinguish (somewhat offset by the fact that more cats wore distinctive items of clothing); and the tails were giving me faintly ratty vibes. Although I understand that part of the production refresh was to make the characters less “people pretending to be cats” and encourage the audience to identify with distinctly human characteristics in each cat, I found cats with long human hair plus cat ears vaguely unsettling. I am also not sure the addition of glitter to many of the cat costumes was an improvement, other than making for pretty twinkles in the twilight.
Rather than Napier’s maximalist original set which would have been completely impractical outdoors, Sami Fendall’s minimalist set is nothing more than a giant stylised crescent moon serving as a backdrop to all the action as well as providing nooks and crannies for the dancers to perch on, and creep out of. There is also a glowing full “Jellicle moon” that rises and sets during the show – particularly effective in Act 2 once the sun has set. Although the set means that some of most charming bits of staging from the original production are missing (the tossed giant boot, or the impromptu junkyard locomotive), it does focus attention far more on the performers and the mesmerising dance sequences. Lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun is outstanding and also comes into its own in Act 2, using spots, smoke and silhouettes to great dramatic effect. I also loved the effect of flashing lights through perforations in the moon, mimicking flashes of lightning at appropriate times.
I had been worried that my intensely happy and magical memories of seeing CATS previously might be marred by a revamped production but I am thrilled to find that the magic is still very much there and that the “Now and Forever” slogan from 20 years ago still holds true. The stage may change, the costumes may vary, the actors come and go – but at the heart of CATS lie an outstanding musical score by arguably the greatest living composer of stage musicals; and brilliant lyrics by one of the 20th century’s greatest poets. The outdoor setting is inspired and it is hard to deny the appeal of seeing a play that so frequently references the moon under a real moonlit summer sky. The new production walks the narrowest rail (to quote Mr Mistofelees) between nostalgia and novelty and whether you are a CATS lover or not, it will remind you of what a magical and transformative experience live theatre can be. This cat lands firmly on all four feet.
CATS is on at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre from 25 July till 19 September., after which it goes on national tour until summer 2027. The runtime is 2h15m including an interval, and tickets can be booked here, starting from £15.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Inner Circle
Regent’s Park
London
NW1 4NU
Box office tel: 0333 400 3562
Lookiing for more theatre? Check out our off-West End theatre previews July-December 2026.
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