Review: Cats enjoys yet another life

Sophia Ragavelas plays Grizabella. Photo / File

Cats, Auckland's Civic Theatre, until October 1

I first saw Cats in its first run in London's West End in the 80s. Back then, Elaine Paige dazzled as Grizabella the Glamour Cat, and the extravaganza of dance, poetry and music never left me. It was the start of a love affair with musical theatre that lasted throughout my childhood and beyond.

Cats is paws down my favourite show. I have seen it several times - it ran for 21 years in London and became one of the longest-running shows on Broadway.

Based on TS Eliot's well-known book of poetry, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, which Andrew Lloyd Weber heard when he was 6, a new British production of Cats, reworked by its original creative team, is running at Auckland's Civic Theatre, set to delight a whole new generation of fans.

I took along my own three kittens. From the moment the lights went down, cats eyes appeared on stage, and a cat crept up behind my son in the circle seats (the show is known for the characters integrating with the audience), the children were as spellbound as I had been all those years ago.

In many ways the show appeals more to children's imagination than adults', with its lack of plot, short musical numbers, amazing choreography and nonsensical but magical characters.

West End star Sophia Ragavelas plays Grizabella the Glamour Cat to perfection - a worn out cat longing for her days of youth and beauty. Her rendition of Memory - surely one of the most iconic songs in musical theatre - hits those notes that do really send the shivers through the soul with an intuitive mix of vulnerability and strength.

The production contains some updates to the musical numbers. The rough and tumble alleycat Rum Tum Tugger is now a rapper and Daniel Assetta plays it with energetic aplomb. The scene between Rum Tum Tugger and the magical Mr Mistoffelees was declared a favourite by the children. Other hits with the audience were the cartwheeling Mungojerrie and Rupleteazer. The group scenes were an outstanding powerhouse of dance and harmony.

In many ways its appeal lies in the fact it is not "about" anything. You can take what you want out of it. It is theatre and music you can just get lost in, to make you want to sing and dance, laugh at the characters' joy and be sad for their pain.

I fell in love with the Jellicle Cats all over again. Do not miss this purr-fect memory-maker.