Cats – Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London

This production of Cats at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre offers a strikingly different interpretation of the familiar musical, moving away from the traditional aesthetic in favour of a more contemporary visual style. The modern, moon-shaped, copper-coloured set provides an atmospheric backdrop and gives the production a distinctive identity of its own.

The costume design works particularly well in establishing the individuality of the various cats, with each character clearly defined while still belonging to the overall world of the production.

Jayden Vijn as Rum Tum Tugger was a particular highlight. He maintained his character throughout, bringing a wonderfully roguish, super-cool energy to the stage. His confidence and charisma made him extremely watchable, and his performance was probably my personal favourite of the show.

Charlotte Riby as Jennyanydots brought warmth, fun and a huge personality to the stage. Her characterisation was engaging, and the use of props such as the knitting added a lovely comic and theatrical touch.

Danny Nattrass as Mungojerrie and Briana Craig as Rumpleteazer delivered a particularly fun number, with the use of the swag bags adding another layer of playfulness and helping to make the sequence feel fresh and contemporary.

The choreography was outstanding. It felt fresh, inventive and constantly interesting, with plenty to look at throughout. Importantly, it wasn’t confined to traditional ballet vocabulary, allowing a much broader range of movement styles and physicality to define the cats and their individual personalities.

Jack Wilcox as Munkustrap provided a strong and consistent link throughout the production, with a commanding stage presence and strong vocals. He successfully carried the responsibility of guiding the audience through the story and connecting the different characters and moments.

Melanie La Barrie as Old Deuteronomy, played as a female character as in the film adaptation, worked extremely well. The performance combined strength with warmth and kindness, creating a convincing sense of authority without losing the character’s gentler qualities.

Gary Wilmot as Gus the Theatre Cat brought excellent characterisation to the role. His transition from the frail, elderly Gus into the battle-ready Growltiger was particularly effective and demonstrated great versatility.

Lucie-Mae Summer as Jellylorum/Griddlebone ably supported the Gus and Growltiger sequence, singing with a clear, beautiful tone and making a strong contribution to the number.

Millie O’Connell as Demeter and Katie Dunsden as Bombalurina handled Macavity particularly well. Both brought strong performances to the number, although I felt Katie Dunsden had a particularly strong appeal and convincing feline quality that really stood out.

Jet Yau as Mr Mistoffelees offered a very different interpretation from the traditional Wayne Sleep-style balletic approach, instead incorporating a much stronger hip-hop influence. It was a bold change of direction, but one that worked within this production’s more contemporary approach and gave the character a fresh identity.

Matthew Caputo, who played Skimbleshanks at this performance, also took on the role of Bustopher Jones. He gave good characterisation in both roles, with particularly strong stage presence and a clear understanding of the contrasting personalities of the two characters.

Another cover performing at this performance was Taziva-Faye Katsande as Grizabella. Vocally, she sang the role well, but for me she felt rather too young to be completely convincing as the older, faded cat that the character is traditionally portrayed as — particularly given the visual storytelling of the torn coat and her history as a once-glamorous cat who has fallen on hard times. That said, full credit to Katsande for stepping in and taking on such an iconic role. Covering a role as demanding and recognisable as Grizabella takes considerable skill and confidence.

Overall, this Cats feels like a production that isn’t afraid to reinterpret the material rather than simply recreate the familiar version. The contemporary design, inventive choreography and distinctive character interpretations give it a fresh energy, while the performances retain the warmth, humour and theatricality that make Cats such an enduring musical.