⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Four Stars)

CATS at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre marks the first non-replica London revival of the landmark musical, which originally ran for 21 years in the West End from 1981 to 2002 before returning for shorter West End runs in 2014 and 2015. As night falls in this pocket of green space nestled in the heart of London and an audience gathers to watch a community of cats perform their Jellicle ritual by moonlight, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect (purr-fect?) location for this show. With stunning design elements and emotive dance, this revival of CATS proves a magical summer evening at the theatre as well as the ideal antidote to the disaster that was the 2019 movie adaptation.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music combines with lyrics comprising poems from T.S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, to create a curious sung-through piece that blurs the lines of musical theatre, ballet and poetry. We meet a group of cats as they ready themselves for the Jellicle Ball - an event at which their leader, Old Deuteronomy (portrayed with gravitas by Melanie La Barrie), will choose one cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer in order to begin a new life. CATS is famously thin on plot, containing no dialogue and often nonsensical lyrics. Furthermore, with so many cats having their moment in the limelight, character development is largely impossible. However, what it lacks in narrative, CATS makes up for in its charm, playfulness and emotion.

Director and choreographer Drew McOnie (also the venue’s artistic director) has a significant legacy to contend with. Gillian Lynne’s choreography for the original production has become so synonymous with the show that CATS’ original West End home was even renamed to become the Gillian Lynne Theatre in her honour and in recognition for her work on the show that ran so successfully there. It is a relief, then, that McOnie’s reverence towards and love for Lynne’s choreography and storytelling through movement is evident throughout this production, with the dance in this revival being one of the most standout elements. Excellently executed by a talented company of performers, McOnie’s feline choreography ranges from playful and mischievous to seductive to urgent. Styles from ballet to contemporary to break-dancing (the magical Mr Mistoffelees’ “Conjuring Turn”, in the original production performed as 24 fouettės or pirouettes depending on the performer, has been literally turned on its head as Jet Lau performs impressive headspins in a bedazzled ‘90s b-boy-inspired costume) are incorporated throughout the show. We may not get to learn each of the cats’ full backstory but so much is communicated to us as an audience through how each cat moves and interacts with each other.

A true ensemble piece, there isn’t a weak link in this cast. Highlight performances, though, come from Jaydon Vijn as the flirtatious, swaggering Rum Tum Tugger and Matthew Caputo as Skimbleshanks, the endearingly enthusiastic railway cat. Due to cast illness, Taziva-Faye Katsande performed the role of Grizabella, the former glamour cat. Initially, it seemed a confusing piece of casting for Katsande to be the first cover for this role. At only nineteen years old, it made little sense for her to be singing wistfully of the old days when she was young and beautiful. However, this confusion was well and truly obliterated in the show’s second act by Katsande’s performance of - perhaps the most well-known song in CATS - “Memory”. The emotional climax of the song when Grizabella sings “touch me, it’s so easy to leave me” was genuinely chill-inducing and left you with the distinct impression that you had just witnessed a star announcing their arrival on the London stage.

CATS’ set design by Sami Fendall leans into the imagery of moonlight evoked throughout the musical and looks beautiful against the backdrop of trees in the park. Fendall also designed the costumes for the production, which incorporate mesh, fringe, ruffles, diamontes and tassels to indicate each cat’s individual personality. Rather than aiming for realism, the costumes find a middle ground between human and feline (and manage to avoid the uncanny valley for the most part).

Jessica Hung Han Yun’s lighting design is strikingly effective, particularly in the second act after the sun has set in the park. Light filters through the trees, illuminating the actors as they appear from the grassy banks flanking the audience. Another lighting choice that is incredibly effective is in the number “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” where Diante Lodge is silhouetted while dancing since Macavity is a cat that operates in the shadows, with the number ending with the stage being encircled with fire, creating a powerful visual.

Overall, there will be some theatregoers for whom CATS will not make sense due to its unique material. In fact, I feared that I might be in this category as I reached the interval and - while appreciating the artistic vision and execution - wasn’t sure I “got” it. However, by the second act, this fear was assuaged thanks to the strength of the talent on stage (and the work from those offstage) encouraging the audience to temporarily let go of their ideas of musical theatre and instead give themselves over to a fantastical Jellicle tribe for the evening.

CATS runs at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre until 19th September 2026 ahead of a UK tour.

Tickets Available Here