Cats at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

The Jellicle band is in town this summer, before heading on a UK tour running until June 2027. This choral musical is given a refresh through the direction and choreography of Drew McOnie, also Artistic Director of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and an enveloping ambience at the outdoor venue in the heart of Regent’s Park.

A feline London tribe, the Jellicles, gathers under the moonlight as the annual Jellicle Ball approaches. Noticing the human audience watching them, they believe a round of introductions is appropriate. Each cat takes centre stage, one after another, until the time comes for Old Deuteronomy (Melanie La Barrie), the oldest and wisest of the band, to choose who deserves to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a new life.

The structure of the plot has never been a forte of this particular Andrew Lloyd Webber work. However, what has usually made up for it is pretty much everything else: from the humour of the lyrics and the dancing to the costumes. For the latter, Set, Costume and Wigs Designer Sami Fendall has chosen to steer away from fur, opting instead for suits made of textures visible from quite a distance. Each animal is characterised by vivid colours and broad, clear patterns. The face make-up is strong and intense, in alignment with the hues. It’s a contemporary style that is cat-astic.

The setting is bare: the round raised platform has only the moon above and a few steps at the back. The evening atmosphere of the outdoor venue does much of the work.

Most of the group performances are engaging, and the vocals are goosebump-inducing. However, the overall show doesn’t quite hit that level of excitement one might have hoped for. Among the missed opportunities is that extra feline touch that would have made the production feel more fitting to its title, rather than bordering on a fun interpretation through masks.

The ensemble – counting more than 20 members – numbers are fun and well put together. The solo and duet acts, though, mostly lack lustre, with a few exceptions. Danny Nattrass and Briana Craig – as Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer – bring some zest and, with a couple of acrobatic somersaults, make the sequence interesting. For the Macavity song, while Katie Dunsden and Millie O’Connell – as Bombalurina and Demeter – draw the figure of the mysterious cat with a tingly sensuality, the character of Macavity himself leaves a bit purr-plexed, whether for the overly estranged costume, the moves or the odd synchronisation with the rest of the cast’s movements. Another number absolutely worth mentioning is Magical Mister Mistoffelees, where Jet Yau, through pyrotechnic tricks and plenty of cool breakdancing, breaks the choreographic mould.

And if there had to be just one paw-sible reason why it’s absolutely worth catching this summer, it would be the meow-gnificent singing of Josie Chambers-Sims (Syllabub) and Taziva-Faye Katsande (Grizabella), whose voices are resonant. Memory is an extraordinary homage to the legacy of this musical.

Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Mark Senior

Cats is at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre from 25^th July until 19^th September 2026. For further information or to book, visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for Cats at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre here: