Cats
Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Regents Park Open Air Theatre, London

From Euston station to Victoria Grove, the strays and rebels of London gather under the Jellicle moon in the hope they’ll be the chosen one. And each of them asks, because each of them dares, who will it be?

Based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, and with a legendary score featuring Old Deuteronomy, Macavity: The Mystery Cat, Jellicle Ball and the chart-topping hit Memory, this production of CATS, directed and choreographed by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Artistic Director Drew McOnie (Jesus Christ Superstar, Brigadoon), is sure to be one of the theatrical events of 2026.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats has always been a divisive musical in the world of musical theatre, and remains a show that's hot topic, particularly after Tom Hooper's somewhat-lacking movie iteration back in 2019. Cats first opened in London back in 1981 and has currently found its new home at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Drew McOnie has managed to create one of the most accessible and cohesive versions of the production you'll ever see; which says a considerable amount if you know anything about the show itself.

The narrative is incredibly loose and if you're expecting any kind of solid plot, you'll no doubt leave feeling disappointed. We join the cast of Cats on their annual event, the Jellicle Ball, whereby they each perform a number to represent themselves to their elder, Old Deuteronomy, in the hopes of winning the coveted prize of ascending to the Heaviside Layer (cat heaven, essentially). However, it presents more as a collection of songs and interpretive dance about individual cats and their stories; a railway cat, a thieving cat, a mystery cat, a theatre cat, to name a few. The lack of narrative does very little to detract from this bonkers revival from McOnie.  

The choreography, also from McOnie, is what truly makes this version of Cats a resounding success. Feeling more like a ballet production at times, it's easy to get lost in the wonder of dance. Even down to transitioning between scenes, entrances, and exits, every movement is choreographed to perfection. Act two is stronger in terms of ensemble dance numbers, but act one has some strong contenders for the most evocative dance numbers in "Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town" (Elliot Broadfoot) and "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" (Danny Nattrass and Briana Craig). However, Jet Yau's "Magical Mister Mistoffelees" street dance segment in act two is undoubtedly the crowd-pleaser of the evening.  

The sung-through musical is a treasure trove of brilliant songs, but the genre switches between each number does give you whiplash and never gives you a chance to really relax, which surprisingly is something I enjoyed. Highlights came from the sensational Jaydon Vijn, who plays Rum Tum Tugger. Vijn is oozing with charisma and swagger during his self-named solo, and gives a performance somewhat reminiscent of Mick Jagger himself. Another highlight comes from the duo, Demeter (Millie O'Connell) and Bombalurina (Katie Dunsden). Their performance of "Macavity: the Mystery Cat" is sultry, sensual and their silky smooth vocals only matched the incredible visuals they presented onstage. 

However, the performance of the evening goes to 19-year-old Grizabella understudy, Taziva-Faye Katsande, who had the daunting challenge of stepping into one of the most coveted musical theatre roles just shortly after graduating drama school, on its press night. Katsande's performance of "Memory" moved me to tears, and the standing ovation that followed after one of the rawest performances I've ever witnessed was overwhelmingly emotional. Her vocals completely blew the non-existent roof off of Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, and it was one of those moments that you could hear a pin drop; the epitome of theatre magic.

The lighting from Jessica Hung Han Yun is as magical as the set and costume designs by Sami Fendall; working together to capture the perfectly mystical setting that this production needs. With the use of smoke, fireworks and a literal ring of fire, it's easy to immerse yourself into the (somewhat loose) narrative.

Having never seen Cats onstage before, this revival completely surprised me and the entire production is captivating from the second the ensemble enter the auditorium. It's wacky, it's nonsensical, but most importantly, it's overflowing with undeniable volumes of talent.

You can book tickets to see Cats, here.

**photo credit: Mark Senior**