Cats returns and the memory lives on under the moonlight – opening night highlights

A new day has begun for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, as director-choreographer Drew McOnie’s interpretation of the 1981 musical has officially opened to glowing reviews.

WhatsOnStage lead critic Sarah Crompton described his version as “truly enchanting” and we were on hand last night to capture the highlights.

Prior to opening night, we also sat down with cast members Hannah Joseph (who plays Victoria), Melanie La Barrie (Old Deuteronomy), Millie O’Connell (Demeter), Jaydon Vijn (Rum Tum Tugger), Gary Wilmot (Gus), and Rachael Wooding (Grizabella) to get their thoughts on finding their feline sides and to chat about the ways McOnie has put his stamp on this brand new version of Cats.

You can watch all the highlights below (rehearsal footage courtesy of Max Westwell):

Also featured in the company are Fin Adams (Alonzo), Carla Bertran (Electra / co-dance captain), Elliot Broadfoot (Bustopher Jones), Grace Burrows (offstage swing), Matthew Caputo (Skimbleshanks), Josie Chambers-Sims (Syllabub (Jemima)), Briana Craig (Rumpleteazer), Katie Dunsden (Bombalurina), Joshua-Samuel Freeman (Tumblebrutus (Bill Bailey)), Regan Garcia (Pouncival (Carbuckety)), Aaron Jenkins (Offstage Swing), Taziva-Faye Katsande (Tantomile), Diante Lodge (Macavity / Admetus), Owen McHugh (George), Danny Nattrass (Mungojerrie), Andrew Parfitt (Coricopat), Charlotte Riby (Jennyanydots (Gumbie Cat)), Nathan Rigg (offstage swing), Lucie-Mae Sumner (Jellylorum (Griddlebone)), Jack Wilcox (Munkustrap), Jet Yau (Mr Mistoffelees / Quaxo), Taela Yeomans-Brown (offstage swing / co-dance captain) and Patricia Zhou (Cassandra).

You can watch the full curtain call here:

Composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cats is based on T S Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. It premiered in London’s West End in 1981 and on Broadway in 1982, becoming one of the longest-running shows in both cities. The musical follows the Jellicle Cats, who gather at the Jellicle Ball to choose one cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn. A 2019 film adaptation followed.

The creative team includes Lucy Adams as associate lighting designer, Josh Baker as resident director and choreographer, and Tim Blazdell as associate set designer. Casting is by Will Burton, with makeup design and supervision by Guy Common, and Ollie Durrant serves as associate sound designer. Sami Fendall is responsible for set, costume and wigs design, with Adam Fisher as sound designer and Jessica Hung Han Yun as lighting designer. Ingrid Mackinnon is intimacy director, Kev McCurdy is fight director, and Fiona McDougal is voice coach. The production is directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, with Ebony Molina as associate choreographer. Georgia Nosal is associate wigs and hair designer and supervisor, Geraint Owen is musical director, and Alex Parker is musical supervisor.

Cats continues at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre until 19 September, and then heads out on a UK and Ireland tour from 6 October – with tour information available here, including the previously announced cast.