The first British revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats has opened at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, running until September 19. Directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, this production offers a leaner, edgier take on the 1981 original, but it does not attempt to reinvent the musical's famously thin plot. The show, based on T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, remains a series of whimsical skits about felines, which may leave modern audiences wondering how it ran for two decades in the West End.
A Smaller, Edgier Cats
McOnie's revival is less radical than the Open Air Theatre's acclaimed recent productions of Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar, but it feels smaller and edgier than Trevor Nunn's blockbuster original. The Jellicle Cats are grungier and less cosy than their leg warmer-clad 1981 predecessors, and the choreography is sinuous and twitchy rather than the high-energy aerobic style of Gillian Lynne's original. This unity between the performers' leaner look and the edgier movement is a strength, though the first half suffers from a lack of spectacle beyond the dancing.
Set and Lighting Challenges
Sami Fendall's static set, which resembles a crashed spaceship, and Jessica Hung Han Yun's lighting are clearly designed for after dark, which should improve later in the run. During the daytime, the production feels hindered, and the more disposable numbers like 'The Old Gumbie Cat' and 'Bustopher Jones' only highlight the show's narrative weaknesses. As one critic noted, "Nobody in their right mind should care about Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat!"
Second Half Highlights
The second half improves significantly as darkness falls. The ethereal, glittery 'Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer' section is lovely, and stage veteran Gary Wilmot delivers a treat as the doleful but slyly egotistical Gus the Theatre Cat. Dianté Lodge's monstrous Macavity brings a brimstone-whiffing menace, and Jet Yau's Magical Mister Mestophiles combines one of the best songs with gratuitous but entertaining B-boy dance moves.
The climactic 'Memory' is a highlight, with understudy Taziva-Faye Katsande (standing in for Rachael Wooding) delivering a sublime belted final chorus. The song remains a "banger for the ages," providing a deserved moment in the spotlight for Katsande.
A Production in the Shadow of Its Predecessor
McOnie does not try to find new depth or meaning in Cats, and the production ultimately feels in the shadow of its previous incarnation. It is refinement, not reinvention. The show's enduring popularity remains a puzzle, but after the horrors of the 2019 film, this is a night of eccentric but undemanding fun.
For those seeking a more radical take, an immersive Broadway revival titled Cats: The Jellicle Ball has been praised, but its chances of coming to London are presumably diminished by this production. Nevertheless, Cats at Regent's Park offers a decent, tuneful, and idiosyncratic evening, even if it doesn't solve the mystery of its historical success.
