MARIA PRIESTLEY
A flurry of human-headed cats will descend on Napier soon - popping up in the windows of stores and businesses, displaying their decorated feline forms.
Darryl Mitchell, the production manager of the upcoming Napier Operatic Society production of Cats is making 36 life-sized wooden cats, which will each sport a
photograph of a cast member's head and will soon be displayed and decorated in shop windows around town.
Businesses and shops can "adopt a cat" of their own to decorate to help finance new cast costumes.
Wardrobe manager Lois Reefman and her team will make the Art Deco-inspired costumes, designed by director Gillian Davies, with help from Taradale designer Penny Madden.
The production, from October 5 to 20 at the Napier Municipal Theatre, is based on TS Eliot's Old Possums Book of Practical Cats, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
While the cast is busy rehearsing the high-energy show, Darryl is content to stay behind the scenes - which he has done since 1989.
The production manager for many Napier Operatic Society productions, including 42nd Street, My Fair Lady and Les Miserables, Darryl likes "making things - painting and making props".
"I like the end result - seeing it all come together. You start from virtually nothing and watching it all come together is just amazing. It's a magical place to be, back stage.
"There's what you see on stage and then you come out off stage and into this huge chaos with all these people. Everybody has their jobs to do and there's so much going on but it just works. It's always full of excitement and really quite magical."
* Anyone interested in adopting one of the 36 Cats is asked to contact Darryl Mitchell on 844 7881.
