AllWays Traveller Features
CATS at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
(Images : Mark Senior)
CATS at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's new production of CATS runs until 19 September 2026
It will then embark on a major UK tour from October 2026 to June 2027.
Not a mere revival of CATS, it is a peerless reimaging of one of the finest ever pieces of musical theatre.
As such, CATS at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre cannot be recommended highly enough.
Everyone shines under this Jellicle moon
For those who do not know, Cats is Andrew Lloyd Webber's sung-through musical based on the 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot.
The world premiere of CATS was at the New London Theatre (now the Gillian Lynne Theatre) in May 1981, where it ran for 21 years.
The subsequent Broadway production ran for just three years less and productions have been staged worldwide almost continuously since then.
I was fortunate in being in that first night audience and remember the doubts about Lloyd Webber's latest offering in the lead up to its opening.
Joseph, Jesus, Evita and um cats!
I think you know the rest.
I got to see a number of revivals over the years which, while all good, never had the same impact on me, because all tried to emulate the original to a greater or lesser extent.
Until now.
The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's new production of CATS, directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, is an original take on it and a genuine theatrical experience in its own right.
Not a revival
Drew's approach is not to revive the CATS as was, but to use Lloyd Webbers music and Eliot's poems as the basis for creating his own, 21st Century CATS.
As such it has an exuberant freshness one would expect from an Open Air Theatre production.
Everything with this CATS melds to produce a stunning outcome, starting with the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre itself.
There could not be a better venue for a feline gathering under the moon.
The premise for CATS is a simple one.
Cats from all over London come together, once a year, under the mystical Jellicle full moon for the Jellicle Ball, during which wise Old Deuteronomy chooses the one cat worthy of ascending to the Heavyside Layer a Jellicle cat and to then return reborn.
We are introduced, in turn, to the cats who have turned up, including Bustoher Jones, the Brummell of cats; Skimbleshakes, the railway cat; magical Mr Mistoffelees; Macavity, the mystery cat; Gus, the theatre cat and the Rum Tum Tugger.
And Grisabella, a one-time glamour cat fallen on hard times and now outcast.
Sami Fendall's costumes for this production have a balletic, ethereal quality that works perfectly with CATS mystic nature.
This allows the performers to take on a cats lithe, sinuous persona perfectly, while also bringing their individual characters to the fore.
While each cat shines through during its spotlight turn, there is a seamless merging in the ensemble routines.
As a sung-through musical, the musical score for CATS is key to its success and the 12-piece, playing out of sight throughout, are magnificent.
And finally, there is the ensemble of the mainly young performers who would not have been born when I saw my first CATS.
Their interpretation of each musical number, to Drew McOnies choreography, is mesmerising.
The Song of the Jellicles and the Jellicle Ball, which ends the first half in stirring style is a high-energy, ballet and modern-dancing instrumental sequence by the whole ensemble.
It is as fine a 'dream ballet' piece you will ever get to see.
As for the cast, it would be grossly unfair to single out any one and I would urge you to take a look at the cast on the Open Air Theatre's website.
They are the true stars of ballet and musical theatre.
That said, I will mention Taziva-Faye Katsande who stood in as Grizabella on the evening I went.
Although every Grizabella rendition of Memory is going to be a standout moment, Taziva-Faye had a fragile power to her rendition that brought shiver down my spine, a tear my eye and 'the house down'.
Leaving the Open Air Theatre after this production of CATS I was fumbling for the words to use in my review.
I heard a young woman behind me ask her friend : "Was that awesome or what?"
Yes. It was. It really was.
https://openairtheatre.com/production/cats and https://uktour.catsthemusical.com/tickets
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, which is located on the Inner Circle of Regent's Park, was founded in 1932 and has been one of London's unique theatrical attractions ever since.
The theatre itself is surrounded by woodland, which is invariably used to great effect as a stage backdrop.
Originally known for its Shakespearean productions, which remains a key part of its repertoire, the theatre now features a wide spectre of theatrical genres.
One the UK's largest permanent professional outdoor theatres, it stages a late spring and summer programme of drama, comedy and musicals along with plays simplified for children.
The theatre gates open 90 minutes before matinee and evening performances to enable theatregoers to make the most of the setting by arriving early to picnic on the lawn before the performance.
The theatre itself also offers an excellent selection of dining options with The Grill, a summer café and bar.
Location (Map)
About the author
Contact info
ISSN 2634-7032
London, United Kingdom
+44 0 7764 198 286