Live reviews

Cats - De Montfort Hall, Leicester

What a combination, T.S.Eliot and Andrew Lloyd Webber producing an exciting and innovative extravaganza. The use of poems written in a bygone age, with music by a prolific composer all go together to produce an unusual show of quality. When entering the auditorium a very realistic junk yard is evident and lights are strung across the ceiling making the surroundings look almost “messy”. When the introduction is played the lights flicker and flash, the junk yard appears to have hundreds of eyes looking out at you (I assume these are meant represent the eyes of a hundred cats).

The first cat appears, stretches and then one by one others emerge and we learn that this is a special night of the year. They are the tribe of 'Jellicle Cats' who reunite once a year to celebrate who they are. They tell us of their unique abilities and special traits in song. Cats are known to be suspicious of humans, but slowly they warm to the audience and soon are moving amongst us with feline dexterity. The dancing is spectacular, the singing excellent and clearly pronounced. There are two particular characters I would like to mention, The Rum Tum Tugger is excellent in his role as a sexy “ladykiller”. Talk about a cross between Tom Jones and the gyrating hips of Elvis, he had all the ladies swooning! The other, Mr Mistofflees, a cat with so much energy it almost made you breathless. His dancing was magnificent and he certainly knew how a cat moved. All the “cats” had obviously studied the movements these creatures make, even down to the little twitch of the leg and the stretching of the arms. It was well worth the visit and I hope De Mont ford Hall will soon be doing something in a similar vein.

Peggy Sue

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