Cats

Despite technical and venue obstacles which saw their ‘official’ opening night shifted to Thursday, Miranda Musical Society’s cast triumphed over the odds at Wednesday’s ‘preview’ of Cats.

They delivered an enjoyable, largely original production, with choreography, direction and design re-thought along simpler lines to the original.

Vocally the show is a terrific ensemble effort, with just a few weaknesses among performers with small solos. Individually, in a show which requires so many performers to have high vocal or dance skills, virtually every major character is right up to the mark, vocally, while Simone Sallé’s choreography is suitably tailored to their individual abilities.

Unlike professional incarnations, where Cats is a big ensemble dancing show, while Miranda has some ‘Triple Threats,’ they utilise the separate singing and dancing talents of various cast members judiciously.

Whole company dance numbers are curtailed, and many rely more on a series of solo and duo turns by the more accomplished dancers. Non-dancers are given appropriate, simpler movement.

Scenically this Cats is a stripped back version. The oversized rubbish items of the original, many of them used as props, are missing. Instead, Bob Peet has created a neutral, multi-level set with lots of functioning entrances and exits. It’s a good, practical solution given that the stage is a concert platform, notoriously lacking in wing space.

One disappointment forced by this staging comes at the climax of the show, where professional productions use heavy-duty hydraulics to transport Grizabella to the Heavyside Layer. Sadly, wafts of smoke, before Grizabella steps through an obvious trapdoor, is no substitute. I’m guessing this exit is meant to be camouflaged with a more enveloping smoke effect, and may well be more effective as the season continues.

A terrific set of original hand-painted costumes, designed by Miranda stalwart Joanne Furnari, provide the show with much of its visual colour. Rozlyne Vidal’s make-up design and execution, and the specially cut and coloured wigs, complete the picture, and provide a stamp of individuality for the various performers.

Without the garbage-based props used in the original, choreography and staging has to be achieved on a more basic storytelling level. The vividness of that physical storytelling varies a little, but in my favourite song of the show, “Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat,” there’s one particular example where inventive choreography creates engaging novelty in an old favourite.

Gavin Leahy, who undertakes the enormous task of directing and playing Munkustrap, has helped his cast achieve clearly delineated portrayals, and the strong interpretation of the show’s character-based narrative songs attests to the attention paid to clarity of storytelling.

Pleasingly, among a predominantly youthful cast, certain casting and staging choices allow more ‘experienced’ performers to be involved as well.

Out in the auditorium, Cat by-play amongst the audience after intermission, a great element of the show, is wonderfully executed, and causes surprise, delight and the occasional fright for younger audience members. I can’t congratulate all the cats who worked my area of theatre enough for the focus and clever improvisation they bring to this part of the evening.

Really, the technical problems were relatively minor, and will surely be sorted by the official opening. They consisted, mainly, of small timing errors in lighting, and occasional musical synchronisation issues, with the conductor and musicians placed backstage. Some key sound effects, too, really need to be pumped out with more volume.

The orchestra, conducted by Kane Wheatley, has a more conventional sound, and less electronic drive than I’m used to with Cats. There seemed to be some orchestral glitches too, perhaps also due to the show’s bump-in dramas.

Venue and technical issues stemming from a booking clash at the council-owned venue on the Sunday prior to opening, meant that the company had to effectively bump the show in twice, also losing vital technical and rehearsal time in a venue which already presents quite a set of challenges.

Given the difficulties they faced, I can only conclude by saying Bravo Miranda!

Neil Litchfield

Photographer: Andre Moonen of Moonen Creative Studios