It was a packed Venue Cyrmu last night as all ages came for a night out at the theatre to see Andrew Lloyd Webber’s, Cats, a show that I’ve been dying to see for years and this was the night I finally got to see the performance in Llandudno.
An audience of all ages came for the evening performance, young and old, with some actually in full cat attire, I’ve not seen people dress up as characters since the last time I saw The Rocky Horror Picture Show!
Adapted from TS Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, this wonderful blend of fantasy, drama and romance is set on the night that the Jellicle Cats meet for the Jellicle Ball in a sparkling fusion of music, dance and verse.
Cats, not only features a lavish set, but also quite amazing costumes for each individual cat with its own particular style and performance.
Everyone knows the song, Memory, but there is far more to Cats, it’s not just about the music it’s about the dance and the performance the actors taking on the persona of a cat and all its movements and emotions in dance.
It opens with a rather strange opening tune and the delight of the cats arriving at the stage from alongside the audience, moving down the walkways with cat-like precision to the stage to perform an opening crescendo of delight.
Moving through the show with some wonderful performances and dances, the cast had the audience in the palm of their hands for the first half of the performance, making the most of the set which is much like a junkyard where cats would come out to play during those dark, moonlit, nights.
With a lovely, tearful, rendition of “Memory” to end the first act, the night had been memorable so far and I was extremely looking forward to the second half.
After the intermission it was back to the show and boy it didn’t fail, the performances from the cast continued to wow the audience and with laughter and roars of applause during the fantastic songs and set numbers.
I have to say, that I had heard so much of people who had seen Cats and this is one of the many reasons that over the years, I’ve wondered what all the fuss was about, now, after finally seeing the show, I can understand why people enjoy it so much.
It’s different, let’s face it, it’s not every day that you can see a musical based on Cats! But this is certainly worth seeing at Venue Cymru. The performances are superb, the music, if a little strange in parts, certainly fits in with the show and the overall fun of Cats is just another reason to go see it.
If you love musicals, then this is a show that you have to see, even if you aren’t sure, it is fun, I personally thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
