CATS

Cats is a very marmite show, as in people love it or hate it. I am one of those that look upon it with affection and wonder. My guest is a Cats lover too however, our husbands came along, and while they appreciated the spectacle and the sound, they were not enamored of the vehicle itself - it was very interesting to take in their opinions too. Stockport Plaza stage is massive so lends itself beautifully to this kind of production if you have a director (Michael McCaw) and a choreographer (Carolynne Jones) that have vision. ALW Licensing states that this should be a non replica production - most amateur dramatic companies would have run a mile at that, but not The Drama Dept.

We entered the auditorium to an open stage, a couple of sassy cats were already prowling around the brick fronted scaffolding, broken signs, old musicals picture boards, a large props crate, enlarged tins of paint (to allow for the enlarged size of the cats), a seemingly broken lighting bar and a dark unlit opening under a ramshackle Stage Door sign. It definitely put me in mind of a neglected, forgotten theatre. The set stayed the same throughout with the cast carrying their own individual props, the cast handled everything with confidence and dexterity, the paint pots were used to both sit on and stand on, what had looked like rubbish on the set was used in some of the musical numbers, a fallen sign provided a makeshift ramp for the cats to slide and run up and down. Haze was used intermittently during the show and it added some good depth and atmosphere to the scenes. Lighting throughout the show was innovative and exciting - it was always quite dark to enhance the feeling of nightime but there was a lot of light play to enhance the  shadows. The sound was great, quite loud so it reverberated through your body but not too loud that it hurt your ears, the balance between the orchestra and the vocals was exquisite, a perfect ribbon of sound. Well done!

Paul Lawton as Musical Director produced a phenomenal sound from his orchestra even before you add in any lead vocals or soaring harmonies. He must have been exhausted just by the end of the first overture because his sound was so full and rich, he brought every instrument in and out perfectly. His timing had punch, pace and vitality without rushing a single note, he was definitely fully immersed in every moment and loving it . The choreography by Carolynne Jones was way beyond amateur dramatic levels - not a box step in sight (not even for the cute kittens that appeared). Admittedly within the cast there were a few trained dancers, but she brought such energy and verve. Timing was on point, she had people doing grand jete, stag leaps, death drop lifts and every single one of the cast were throwing themselves into it and loving it. Two tap numbers were included - not just a basic flap and a stamp, lots of double wings, cramp rolls, timesteps doubles and triples (I think i spotted some triples) and shuffles all synchronised, a great sound in complete unison. The make up, wigs and costumes were nothing less than phenomenal! The idea and vision to include cats dressed as musical theatres greatest characters for example Mary Poppins and characters from The Wizard of Oz came via Dawn Leigh. All of the costumes were exquisite, hand made, hand painted, hand stoned, an absolute vision - I have to repeat myself,  they were phenomenal! Well done!

I can`t possibly call out any of the cast individually because they are all deserving - every single one of them, they worked as a strong team, they made me believe I was spying on cats getting together for A Jellicle Ball. All the characterisations were strong, solid and very cat like, nobody dropped any of their feline persona at all. Vocals were all fantastic - definitely no caterwauling. This show has to be one of the most difficult shows to perform due to it being so physical and  vocally challenging - they made it look effortless. I absolutely loved it, it felt, looked and sounded like a professional slick show.

I applauded you then, but I can now give you the standing ovation that you all truly deserve. Well done, Drama Dept for delivering such a sensational show. I look forward to seeing you all again soon.

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