Cats

Despite its demands on the cast and orchestra alike, Cats is a great choice for community theatre with its large cast and colourful, spirited display. QMT and the Twelfth Night Theatre have been around for a long time (just viewing the theatre's auditorium is a show in itself with its elaborate display of theatrical history) and the time, energy and support that has gone into this production is a credit to all concerned. What is unique about this show is that there's no dialogue: it's all song and dance, full of rousing ensemble numbers, catchy tunes and technically demanding choreography; and with an enthusiastic and animated cast capturing the essence of its ingredients, it's no wonder a receptive audience would soon follow suit. Queensland audiences are renowned for this, regular standing ovations being part and parcel of the life-blood here.

I was fortunate enough to see the original London production many years ago, with an especially built theatre-in-the-round and set of revolving patron seats adding more spectacle to the production. I was also a musician for part of the original Melbourne version and so I'm well aware of the complexity of rehearsal and presentation of this show (the original choreographer Gillian Lynne was famous for quoting "If it feels wrong, it's probably right", or words to that effect), and despite having experienced all of the above, including viewing different versions over the years, I still find it an infectious fun night out; and this production is no exception.

Hats off to Director Caley Monro, Choreographer Jo Badenhorst and Musical Director Michael Keen, including those responsible for the lighting, sound and special effects, for succeeding in putting this difficult show together. With such a large cast, too many to mention here, and ample opportunity for character display, performances worth a mention include Timothy Buckney as a delightful Bustopher Jones, Amy Davison and Georgina Walsh as Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, Skye Schultz as a racey Skimbleshanks, the vocal talents of Paul Fegan as Old Deuteronomy and a glowing rendition by Andrew McArthur of Gus the Theatre Cat's thespian pursuits. The list goes on .......

Having been in operation for nearly forty years and with an impressive list of ambitious iconic shows from the past and present to boast about, Queensland Musical Theatre, and indeed the Twelfth Night Theatre, are an important part of Queensland's cultural heritage hopefully here to stay and the perfect vehicle for ambitious performers of all ages and backgrounds to embrace the opportunity to shine in the spotlight. Live theatre is also about people and community and it's refreshing to see QMT still flourishing amongst the mayhem of technical and robotic entertainment these days.

This was indeed a 'purrrfect' evening for those who appreciate a fun, melodious night of memories. It certainly brought back a flood of 'Memories' (sic 'Memory') for me!

Brian Adamson