Cats revival extends in London

Cats has announced an extension of its summer season at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

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.

Set to star in the open-air production will be 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), Melanie La 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)), Jaydon 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).

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.

The show will run at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre from 25 July to the newly extended date of 19 September, with a press night on 6 August. After that, it will tour – with tour information available here. Casting for the tour is to be confirmed.