CATS at the Kings Theatre, Glasgow
CATS land firmly on all fours at the Kings, Glasgow!
There are few shows that can truly be described as a ‘phenomenon’
– but CATS is one of them. Irrepressible and perennial,
it is one of the best loved and longest running musicals in
history . . . and for good reason. Characterisation, music and
dance are brought together so seamlessly that the audience are
immersed in the experience from the moment that the first chord
is struck.
Anyone hoping for something “fresh” from this tour of Cats will be disappointed. The costumes, staging, music and choreography are sacrosanct and timeless. From the audience reaction, I could not identify anyone who looked disappointed. Now over 30 years old, this show remains technically astonishing and there is no evidence that production values have slipped over time. In fact, the lighting bars seemed to be literally creaking under the weight of a dazzling array of technical wizardry to support the magical performances on stage.
This is truly an ‘ensemble’ piece but, like a house full of
feline pets, 
everyone has their
favourite cat! For
me, this honour goes t
o two cats;
namely Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer (played by Barnaby Thompson
and Katie Warsop) who danced, cavorted and tumbled through their
showcase number leaving the audience more breathless than they
were! Of course
mention 
must be made of the magical
Mr. Mistoffelees (Joseph Poulton) who literally had his tail and
the audience in a spin. Safe to say that each member
of the cast made the most of their opportunity when the limelight
was focussed upon them while remaining faultlessly in character
when it was not!
Given the demands on the cast I find it remarkable that the producers continue to find new generations of performers capable of such a quality performance. The original cast list read like a “Who’s Who” of 1980’s theatre culture (Elaine Paige, Wayne Sleep, Bonny Langford, Brian Blessed, Paul Nicholas, Rosemary Ford, et al). The 2013 touring cast can walk tall in their footsteps.
You can forget ‘nine lives’ … CATS will live forever!
CATS, King’s Theatre, Bath Street, Glasgow
Monday 16 - Saturday 28 Sept
Mon – Sat eves 7.30pm
Wed & Sat mats 2.30pm
Tickets: £10 - £37.50
0844 871 7648 (bkg fee)
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