REVIEW: "CATS the Musical" unleashes electric, nostalgic Jellicle chaos in Boorloo Perth
Cats is a very particular kind of musical. Just like there are many different kinds of Jellicle Cats (practical, allegorical, statistical, what have you), your experience of Cats can shift dramatically, depending on where you are coming from and the state of mind you bring with you.
For many audiences, this 40th-anniversary Australian production will land like a warm hit of nostalgia: a return to an iconic, delightfully weird musical they grew up with, shaped by VHS tapes, childhood rewatches, and a long-held love for the bizzaro Jellicle world. They come hoping to relive the magic for a second or third time, or finally see the live stage version after years of watching it on screens.
The second category is made up of people with only a cursory familiarity with the musical, having learned about it through pop culture osmosis, or the much-maligned modern film adaptation we will not mention any further.
Then there are the people going in completely blind. They wander in untouched by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s claws, like jurors being inducted into a case they know nothing about. Some arrive out of a sense of curiosity that the titular animal is famous for. Others are brought along by friends, partners, or family members who are passionate Jellicle-heads.
No matter which category you fall into, you will walk out of the theatre changed in some way. Experiencing Cats feels like going through some kind of bewildering looking glass that challenges the way you think about how stories can be told, and about the topsy-turvy wildness of (cat) life.
The musical essentially operates as one long curtain call for its roster of quirky, otherworldly characters. A chorus of cats guides you through introductions, each Jellicle presenting their colourful backstory in hopes of earning their one chance to ascend to the Heaviside Layer, a decision that is reserved for the wise elder cat, Old Deuteronomy (played here by Mark Vincent).
By design, the plot is paper-thin. The cats introduce themselves, they have a ball, and one goes to cat heaven. That simplicity is part of the appeal. The beauty of Cats is not in layered storytelling, but in its unflinching projection of pure vibes. And boy, does this Australian production deliver.
Opening in Perth after rave audience responses in Sydney and Adelaide, this production embraces the show’s iconic simplicity, its oversized junkyard set design placing us directly inside the Jellicle Ball, from the peephole-like curtain reveal to its queer-ballroom-esque vocabulary.
Whether it’s the tap-dancing cockroaches of Jennyanydots, the swagger of the Railway Cat (Tom Davis as Skimbleshanks), or the aching loneliness of Grizabella (Gabriyel Thomas, in a showstopping vocal performance), every Jellicle offers a portrait of difference. The show becomes a celebration of our individuality and how our differences bring value to a community.
The Australian cast impresses through their sheer physicality. Armed with elaborate costuming and bold make-up, the ensemble commits completely to their cat-like idiosyncrasies, from paw-licking to tail-flicks, from perpetual prowling to sudden leaps. Their stamina, physical precision, and acrobatic movement immerse us fully in this strange world of humanoid felines hosting a midnight gathering.
It is no surprise that, as the show ends, audiences whisper to one another about their favourite cat. Some key highlights include Jennyanydots (Leigh Archer, dependably charming in her second time in this role), and her delightful cockroaches, the bright and kinetic pyrotechnics of Mr Mistoffelees (Tim Haskayne), and the effervescent, Bowie-esque charm of Rum Tum Tugger (Des Flanagan). Mischievous duo Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser (Jake O’Brien and Savannah Lind) cartwheel seamlessly into our hearts.
Above all, the greatest credit goes to the ensemble, especially in their powerful vocal performances. Their high-energy harmonies and unwavering enthusiasm carry us through the production from start to finish, a testament to their stamina, talent, and joy in performing such a classic piece.
A standout number is Gus: The Theatre Cat. Actor Todd McKenney brings a deeply human warmth and quirk to the song’s title character, playing an ageing thespian desperate to reconnect with his glory days. The ensemble enriches the number further in their channelling of the wave-like choreography. The whole number becomes a moving portrait of a younger generation of performers and audiences showing reverence to the artists who came before them, anchored by Lucy Maunder’s delightfully gentle performance as Jellylorum, Gus’s supportive younger counterpart in this duet.
Perhaps that feeling captures what this 40th anniversary Australian tour is really doing. It reminds us of how bold Webber’s production was when it first premiered in the West End, and how its commitment to originality carved its place in musical history. In some ways, we as the audience are like the Jellicle Cats, returning to and reconnecting with a one-of-a-kind piece of theatrical ingenuity.
4 / 5
The 40th Anniversary tour of Cats is now playing at Crown Theatre Perth until 6 December. Click here for tickets.
