Cats

It felt like Chatswood was raining with cats(but no dogs). Two kittens, beautiful groomed with make-up and costume, were in our restaurant lapping up their dinner before the show. The felines were crawling through the audience inside in the theatre and on stage it looked like there were whiskers in every conceivable corner.  

Although Packemin Productions did pack in the cast it never felt crowded. Indeed there was a dividend from having such an impressive clouder of cats on stage (yes, clouder is the collective for cats). The group formed a sumptuous choir, raising the roof with their final meow or ensemble.

Catswas famously treated with scepticism when it first burst forth onto the West End in the 1980’s. It’s since gone on to conquer the world and has had no fewer than four professional seasons in Australia, with community theatres nabbing the rights in between.  It may never satisfy the purists as a piece of drama but as a vehicle for showcasing the talents of a large group of performing artists it works a treat.

And Packemin Productions had no shortage of very talented young performances to showcase. Some of the teenagers already have a decade of experience under their belts. Take Noah Gill Mullins, who shone with his clarity of movement and dialogue as Munkustrap. He’s been on stage since the age of three and already has an agent.

Teenager Dominic Clark displayed his impressive pedigree as a world competitive trampoline gymnast, doing flips as Rumpus Cat and Macavity.

Isobel Grundy, in training since the age of six, was another performer who delighted with her dance performance in the character of Victoria.

The beautifully named Harmony Lovegrove belted out Memory impressively as Grizabella. She’s been performing with her Dad all over Australia since the age of 12.

Steering the ship was the one guest professional, Simon Pryce giving gravitas as Old Deuteronomy and a few dollops of humour as Bustopher Jones.

The set was on the simple side. Projections of the moon and the inside of a clock, framed with scaffolding. It left plenty of the stage open to the full size cats and very cute appearances by a group of ‘kittens’.

The felines were exceptionally well drilled by the Director Craig Stewart and choreographer Sophie Gospodarczyk.

If you have never seen Cats before or it is your “umpteenth time”, this production will not disappoint. Packemin Productions is the best youth theatre in Sydney.

David Spicer

Photographer: Grant Leslie