CATS

CATS is one of those musicals people often say they love or really don’t like. However, it ran for 21 years in the West End so managed to find enough support and audience for all that time. Is it somehow different to most musicals? Yes, it is – not many musicals are based of a book of poems namely TS Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.

CATS has only recently become available for amateur societies making Redditch Operatic Society the first to perform this within the district.  

What is very different about CATS is reference to costumes and make up. These are usually of course an important element to every show but in this one they are a vital element.

In this production both were superb, and congratulations need to be extended to Jean Chalk for coordinating the costumes. The costumes were impressive such as Tim Eagleton’s Bustopher Jones who strutted with ease around the stage with elegance.

With regards to make up again congratulations to Beth Hemmings, Clare Marshall, Sophie Traves and Natalija Webb for the sheer amount of input needed to make up a cast of fifty. Even knowing or recognising many in the cast the makeup made it difficult to work out who some people were. This meant the makeup worked! In short, the makeup and costumes combined were amazing.

CATS in many respects does not have an obvious lead. Many of the characters have their moment of fame as they enact the poem in which they are featured. However, with a cast of fifty this would be huge on most stages. The stage at The Palace is by no means large so getting so many involved was no mean task and only a few times did the stage look overly crowded.  With such a sizable cast it would therefore be impossible to mention all involved and apologies from the onset to those missed!

The opening numbers including, ‘Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats’ and, ‘The Naming of Cats’ were both well staged with good movement and many a cat coming right down stage to glare at the audience. The words in these numbers were crisp and clear.

The first cat to become known and then act as narrator through a musical with no real story was Ryan Allen-Rose as Munkustrap. The part was well done and set the tone for the evening.  

Paul Mitchell as Rum Tum Tugger gave a first-class performance throughout not least during ‘Magical Mister Mistoffelees’ and his title number ‘The Rum Tum Tugger’.

A favourite character must be dear Old Deuteronomy who makes his first slow entrance through the auditorium. Matt Bridgewater made for an imposing cat due to height in this role!

Act two was the opportunity for impressive performances from John Reeves as Gus (short for Asparagus) the theatrical cat who once understudied Dick Whittington’s cat, Jeremy Dobbins as Skimbleshanks, the railway cat and William Beldham as Growltiger. Liz Bird as Jellylorum was impressive throughout. There were great vocals from Sophie Hill as Demeter and Kelly Forrester as Bombalurina in ‘Macavity, the Mystery Cat.’

The iconic song from the show is perhaps ‘Memory’. We must wait almost to the very end of act one  to hear some of this but worth waiting for when sung by Laura Woodall as Grizabella.

CATS is a dance show with music throughout with no actual dialogue as it is all set to music. The company dance numbers were well set and broken down into groups of people rather than the whole ensemble having large amounts of intensive dance routines.  This ensured the whole company were involved and reduced the need to have everyone on stage at the same time as these could have resulted in the stage looking too busy. Reference for dance needs to be credited to Jacob Finch as Mr Mistoffelees who shone along with a routine carried out by Caitlin Moonan as Rumpleteazer and David Eagleton as Mungojerrie.

The set was simple, it needed to be with a large cast, but effective and gave raised areas for cats to watch proceedings or perform further up stage but still within good view of the audience.

The band under the leadership of Joe George consisted of ten musicians. As normal with Joe in command the level of the sound from the pit was well controlled at no time overpowering the cast while ensuring the well-known score was heard.

This was a brave choice for many reasons not least the amount of dance within the show as well as the need to transport the audience to an ally of cats. It was however a show suitable to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of Redditch Operatic Society and I am sure it is one which will stick in people’s memory.

Redditch Operatic Society have over recent years brought a range of recently released and or challenging shows to the stage. Next year is no exception to this with the recently released on to the amateur circuit – Shrek The Musical. Most certainly looking forward to seeing it.

Well done to all involved in the production it most certainly deserved the full houses it achieved.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.