A Memorable Night: Cats Review

Originally published on Avenoir Magazine, in April 2016.

It was with immense anticipation and excitement that I entered Crown Theatre on Sunday to see one of the biggest musicals in the world, Cats, based on T.S Eliot’s book, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called ‘the Jellicles’ and the night where they make ‘the Jellicle choice’.

The set is one of the most important factors of the show as it sets the scene and the tone. My hat goes off to the show’s set designers; the set was beautifully crafted and fully utilized by the performers. One of my favourite aspects was the pipes that allowed the cats to pop in and out sporadically. As ‘the junkyard’ is the only location for the entire musical it had to be versatile for all the numbers and stories told throughout the show, and it succeeded. Having the lanterns extend in and around the audience was a lovely touch that brought the audience into the show.

I adored the costumes, they’re so simple, and yet each cat has their own distinct look setting them apart from the others whilst they all remain cohesive. I love the way the makeup compliments and enhances the outfit, transforming them into cats. However, I wasn’t sold on Rum Tum Tugger’s “new look” as it sets him too far apart from the general aesthetic of the other cats.

Webber’s score is amazing, and was enhanced by the incredible harmonies of the cast. They were a joy to hear, though with anything some voices did outshine others. Whilst I didn’t mind the singing, it did make it difficult to hear exactly what was being said at times when voices overlapped each other, and I would have liked to hear more spoken interactions between the characters.

Hands down, my favourite part of the show was the dancing. I was in awe of the different ways the actors moved their bodies to portray their cat counterparts. Special mentions to the Magical Mr. Mistoffelees’ breathtaking solo, and my favourite number of the night would have to be “Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer” who became my favourite cats. They are so coy and mischievous, and they portrayed this perfectly in their incredibly athletic duet.

The way the storyline jumps around made it difficult to follow exactly what is going on at times, and I felt like the story had too many unnecessary side stories. Instead, something important like why Grizabella is an outcast, what she did to make all the cats loathe her so completely, should be elaborated on.

I really didn’t understand Asparagus/Gus’s part in the show. The whole flashback sequence felt forced, odd, and went on for much longer than a short interlude like that should have. I would’ve understood this interruption to the story if it had a link later on, but you never see Gus again. Also the whole ‘Jellicle choice’ scene should be a lot clearer.

Delia Hannah’s performance of ‘Memory’ toward the end of the show was spellbinding and almost gave me chills when she hit the big notes.

Overall, I think the show had some great points, and some rather average points. The issues I had were in the story’s continuity. But the performers involved were spectacularly talented. The dancing, singing and acrobatics were finessed to perfection, and were quite a wonder to behold. I think I’ll be humming ‘Memory’ for the rest of the week.