CATS

★ TOP 50 SHOWS OF 2019: MUSICAL REVIVALS — THE STAGE ★★★★★

“Radical approach and outstanding delivery”.

“Nick Winston’s production dispels at a single magnificent stroke those habitual audience demurrals that, however showy and extraordinary it is, Cats doesn’t really have a story.”

“He plants it in a near-derelict London Underground station during the Second World War, with a toppled train and the faded figure of Britannia trampled underfoot. Cats emerge from myriad ducts and pipes. Exquisitely feline in their movement and make-up, they represent a colourful cross-section of British society – from milkman, engine driver and Boy Scout to glamour girl and schoolchild. This community makes a cohesive whole, suggesting but never labouring notions of survival and pulling together.”

“With no digital fur technology in sight, Nick Winston’s radical re-imagining of Cats continued the trend of making Lloyd Webber’s work feel fresh and exciting again. Locating the show in a near-derelict London Underground station during the Second World War, there were fantastic performances as well as breathtaking choreography. It was a production that made you forget how familiar Cats has become. Move over Taylor Swift.”

The Stage ★★★★★