Cats revival begins performances - first look photo released

A bunch of Jellicle Cats can, and will, be descending on Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre as preview performances begin tonight, 25 July.

The much-loved show, composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is based on T S Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. It follows the Jellicle Cats, who gather at the Jellicle Ball to choose one cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn.

Following its premiere in London’s West End in 1981, the show opened on Broadway a year later and went on to become one of the longest-running shows in both cities. An infamous 2019 film adaptation followed, with a whole bunch of famous faces.

We wonder how far from the original production this revival will stray?

When was Cats last revived in the West End?

Those with a good “Memory” will know that the meow-vellous original London cast featured Elaine Paige, Brian Blessed, Bonnie Langford, Sarah Brightman and more theatre favourites. But it has been a decade since Cats was last in the West End in its first revival. The production reunited the original creative team, including director Trevor Nunn, choreographer Gillian Lynne and designer John Napier and originally starred Nicole Scherzinger as Grizabella in 2014. She was later replaced by Kerry Ellis and, in the 2015 staging, the starring role was played by Beverley Knight.

Who is behind the show?

The artistic director of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Drew McOnie, will direct and choreograph this brand new production. It follows his WhatsOnStage Award-nominated revival of Brigadoon at the venue last summer. In a YouTube documentary about the production, he revealed that it was the original creative team and their decisions that inspired his desire to work in theatre – so we’re excited to see how he honours it while putting his own stamp on the show!

He’s joined on the creative team by 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. Ebony Molina is associate choreographer, Georgia Nosal is associate wigs and hair designer and supervisor, Geraint Owen is musical director, and Alex Parker is musical supervisor.

Who will be starring?

There are just shy of 30 cast members forming this whopping great cats, sorry, I mean cast. Anyway, the company includes some world-renowned dancers, as well as some recent WhatsOnStage Award winners and nominees, including Melanie La Barrie as Old Deuteronomy and Jaydon Vijn as Rum Tum Tugger.

For ease, here they all are in alphabetical order: 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)), and Aaron Jenkins (Offstage Swing).

Also in the cast are Hannah Joseph (Victoria), Taziva-Faye Katsande (Tantomile), Barrie (Old Deuteronomy), Diante Lodge (Macavity / Admetus), Owen McHugh (George), Danny Nattrass (Mungojerrie), Millie O’Connell (Demeter), Andrew Parfitt (Coricopat), Charlotte Riby (Jennyanydots (Gumbie Cat)), Nathan Rigg (offstage swing), Lucie-Mae Sumner (Jellylorum (Griddlebone)), Vijn (Rum Tum Tugger), Jack Wilcox (Munkustrap), Gary Wilmot (Gus), Rachael Wooding (Grizabella), Jet Yau (Mr Mistoffelees / Quaxo), Taela Yeomans-Brown (offstage swing / co-dance captain) and Patricia Zhou (Cassandra).

You can take a look at the first photo of the cast here, while we await more official production photos.

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How long is it playing for?

This open-air production will run at Regent’s Park to an already extended date of 19 September. An official opening is set for 6 August – it’s around then you can expect to read reviews, see our interviews with the cast and creatives, and get to look at photographs of the production.

What are the plans after London?

After that, the show will have a similar experience to Fiddler on the Roof and head indoors for a regional tour. Audiences don’t have too long to wait, either. The tour will open at Theatre Royal Plymouth on 6 October 2026, with dates locked in across the country until summer 2027. Casting for the tour and how this production might work inside theatres are yet to be announced, but expect some fan-favourite names.

View the tour listings here.

Where can I see more Andrew Lloyd Webber?

In what is seemingly becoming a bit of a tradition, you can enjoy an ALW spectacular at The London Palladium this summer as Sam Ryder leads Tim Sheader’s revival of Jesus Christ Superstar. The five-star show will also be heading to Theatre Royal Drury Lane this autumn before going on an epic tour. Phantom of the Opera is also celebrating 40 years in the West End with a star-studded anniversary cast. In addition, the WhatsOnStage Award-winning concert production of Love Never Dies will run at The London Palladium from 16 to 18 October, starring Jamie Muscato and Celinde Schoenmaker.

Further afield, Rachel Zegler will be reprising her rainbow high performance in Evita on Broadway, and the hit revival of Starlight Express will be skating across the UK from May next year.