CATS – The Beyond Broadway Experience at Festival Theatre Edinburgh Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Deb Mackenzie
The curtains rose and the silence in the auditorium was electrifying. From across the neighbourhood the ‘cats’ in vast quantities took their places. The ages of these actors ranged from eight to twenty-one years old, but this was no amateur production.
Andrew Lloyd Webber based this magical and enchanting musical from T S Eliot’s ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’. A tribe of cats known as the Jellicles introduce themselves through dance and song, describing the many different types of cats and how they are named. The cats are excited as it is the lead up to the Jellicle Ball. Each cat comes out to tell their stories for the amusement of their wise leader Old Deuteronomy, who at the ball must choose one of the cats to ascend to ‘the Heaviside Layer’ and be reborn into the next generation of the Jellicle cats’ lives.
These young actors/dancers/acrobats filled the stage in perfect unison and sang their hearts out. They loved what they were doing, and this reflected back to the audience who were as quiet as mice; except when everyone applauded which thundered throughout the theatre.
The principles and ensembles worked together; to me it was amazing as although there were the ‘leads’ within the story I honestly saw each person’s personality shine from the stage. These young people are the future of musical and dance theatre. Of course, like in any production we gravitate to who are our favourites, but these young actors made it extremely difficult.
So, who were my favourites; Mr Mistofelees a young black and white tuxedo cat with magical powers but does not have complete control of them, he is mischievous, a show off and trickster. Performed by Finn McFeely dressed in a tuxedo stood out from the rest. He owned his character and the way he danced was incredible. Finn McFeely is a name to watch out for as he continues to dance his way into many bigger productions.
The other person who made me hold my breath and transported me into the Jellicats haven was the character Jemima by Elsie Kinyua. She was one of the tiniest on stage but had the most powerful voice. Elsie Kinyua’s character Jemima, the youngest member of the Jellicle cats, suited her personality which was far bigger than her size.
I loved the set as it was simple, a book was projected on the back wall introducing us to each cat. These animated scenes used images from Edinburgh giving it a unique Scottish feel. With the use of steps to give the height to the back we were able to see every performer. They also used tables on wheels which were glided perfectly into place.
The best scene/set, in my opinion was the telling of the railway cat Skimbleshanks with the use of the desks they made a train. The movement of each performer, the use of umbrellas for wheels and torches for the lights worked extremely well.
Overall, this production of Cats Beyond Broadway, these young extremely talented performers gave us a glimpse of the next generations to grace our theatres. I have had the pleasure of seeing Cats when it was touring several years ago, but for me this production was the best one. I will look out for more of these productions by ‘The Beyond Broadway Experience’ because they are remarkable!
Venue: Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Festival Theatre, 13-29 Nicolson St, Edinburgh, EH8 9FT
Dates: 27th July 2024 at 2pm and 7:30pm
Tickets: https://www.capitaltheatres.com/whats-on/all-shows/cats-the-beyond-broadway-experience/2304
Prices: £32 to £20 per person
Rating: 5/5