It was the first night of the Jellicle Ball and what a night.
Based on TS Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats with award-winning music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the all-singing, all-dancing show is one of the most successful musicals in West End and Broadway history.
Telling the tale of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles who gather to decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and return to a new life, this was an ambitious, large-scale production boasting a cast of 36 and a live orchestra of 14.
All involved rose to the task superbly.
It was beautifully staged and the costumes and choreography were stunning.
Every cat’s individual personality shone through, helping keep track of who was who. There were plenty of strong voices, particularly Jack Brett as the playful show off Rum Tum Tugger and Anna Watson as the tragic Grizabella, but the whole cast rightly deserved their raptous applause.
Personally, I prefer a strong storyline which Cats lacks; but that’s the original show creators’ fault not the Co-op Juniors’.That aside, this was musical theatre at its best.
Check out the attached picture gallery.
Wayne Savage
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