THEATRE REVIEW: CATS at Crown Theatre, Perth

Shane | 7 May 2016 | Reply

THEATRE REVIEW: CATS at Crown Theatre, Perth
Directed by Trevor Nunn
Starring Deliah Hannah, Christopher Favaloro, Jason Wasley, Brent Osbourne
Reviewed by Shane Pinnegar

With its pulsating pop-rock opera soundtrack (conducted live by Paul White), horde of feline impersonators and much-loved story of a tribe of junkyard cats – The Jellicle Cats – who assemble on one night each year to celebrate their uniqueness and choose one of their number to be reborn, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats (based on a story by T.S. Elliot) delivers something for everyone.

The cat costumes are simply incredible, as is the obvious effort the cast have spent learning to move with authentically feline style and grace.

The energetic soundtrack encompasses pop, rock, funk, doo wop, jazz and music hall, whilst the cast perform ballet, tap, acrobatics and more as they bound about from start to finish, through fantasy sequences and high drama, and even a battle scene.

The story though is secondary to the action, the spectacle of the cats, and the full-forced song and dance routines. There’s even a subtly intoxicating undercurrent of sexual tension that the kids won’t pick up on, but which allows the adults in the audience a few sideways glances at their partners with raised eyebrows.

Performances are top notch from all players, from the stars of the show down to the extras and musicians, and there was no surprise that the crowd gave the company a standing ovation for their efforts.