CATS, one of the longest-running shows in West End and on Broadway, received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981 where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The production was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical.

In 1983 the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony awards including Best Musical, and ran for 18 years. Since its world premiere, Cats has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 10 languages and has been seen by over 50 million people world-wide. Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album. It is now on a nationwide tour and last week opened in Leeds at the Grand Theatre where it runs until Saturday, July 2.

On just one special night of the year, all Jellicle cats meet at the Jellicle Ball where Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, makes the Jellicle choice and announces which of them will go up to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life.

Based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the show is directed by Trevor Nunn, produced by Cameron Mackintosh and David Ian with Gillian Lynne as Associate Director and Choreographer. Designer is John Napier and Tim Davies is the Musical Director. The music is of course composed by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.

This is an entirely sung production with no dialogue at all but this in no way detracts from the overall spectacle, as the singing and the brilliant choreography more than make up for any lack of libretto. The dancing is superb with every member of the cast playing their part. There are however, one or two performances that stand out. Firstly Matt Krzan as Munkustrap who I thought was excellent as was Marquelle Ward as Rum Tum Tugger whose performance of The Rum Tum Tugger song was outstanding. I was also highly impressed with Marianne Benedict as Grizabella whose rendition of Memory was as good as I have heard. Full of passion, you could hear a pin drop in the audience during this well known piece. Shiv Rabheru also shone as Mr Mistoffelees.

The show has changed in one or two of the numbers since I last saw it. The Rum Tum Tugger song is now done as a rap, and I was also very impressed with the tap dancing in The Old Gumbie Cat. There are a few tickets remaining during the two week run of the show which finishes on Saturday, July 2. These can be booked on line at www.leedsgrandtheatre.com or call the box office on 0844 848 2700.

by John Burland