CATS

Cat lovers and lovers of Cats were in Moggie heaven last night when Harvest Rain opened their arena-style production at the Brisbane Convention Centre of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s classic Cats.

With a cast of over 800 adults, teenagers and juniors, the venue at times was a sea of writhing, slinking, magical feline activity. Producer Tim O’Connor’s vision to mount the largest production of the musical in the Southern Hemisphere paid off handsomely. It was gobsmackingly good.

Praise, accolades and thunderous applause should go to director and choreographer Callum Mansfield who has pulled off an amazing feat of theatre that was always invigorating and marvellously theatrical. Looking at the work with fresh eyes, the scope of the production opened up the musical intent in the clearest interpretation of the story I have ever seen.

Heading the cast as Grizabella was one of Australia’s favourite leading ladies, Marina Prior. She not only brought gravitas to the role, having appeared in the original Australian production of the show in 1985 as Jellylorum and Griddlebone, but a depth and presence to the part, and was achingly melancholic singing the immortal “Memory.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and the emotion was palpable.

In the role of Munkustrap, the virtual Master of Ceremonies of the show, Dean Vince was vocally strong and commanding, while Patrick Oxley’s Old Deuteronomy had warmth and authority. Ethan Jones brought a ‘rock legend’ swagger to Rum Tum Tugger which was enormous fun. Stevie Bishop was an athletic Mr Missoffelees whose final disappearing trick drew gasps, while Dan Venz skipped and cavorted nimbly as Skimbleshanks the railway cat. Steven Tandy was a lovable Bustopher Jones and a heart-string pulling Gus the Theatre Cat. Other standout performances came from Astin Blaik as Jennyanydots, Callan Warner and Hanna Crowther as Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser, and Natalie Greer as Jemima.

Augmenting the principal cast were students from Harvest Rain’s Internship Program, Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Canterbury College, Clairvaux MacKillop College, Morton Bay College, Mt Alvernia College, Northside Christian College, Redlands College, St John’s Anglican College, St Josephs Nudgee College, and over 500 performers from across South East Queensland. They all deserve glowing admiration for the way they threw themselves into these feline roles with a discipline that verged on frenzy.

Maitlohn Drew’s 16-piece band was punchy, Josh McIntosh’s set of rostra with revolve worked extremely well for the piece, with Jason Glenwright’s effective pin-spot lighting complimenting the stage action at every turn.

But it was Mansfield’s brilliant staging that drove this production and made it into something magical. Early on he had his entire cast, all 800 of them, tap-dancing in unison in the Old Gumbie Cat number. It was thrilling and from that moment on the show never lost its energy and drive.

Talk about ‘wow’ factor. This production had it in spades!

Peter Pinne