Everything You Need to Know About Cats

What is Cats about?

Andrew Lloyd Webber was inspired for the musical by T S Elliot’s whimsical 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Elliot’s poems were a jumble of disconnected character pieces, but Lloyd Webber put them together to invent a truly unique and enchanting story.

The Jellicle Cats are a tribe of anthropomorphic felines living in a junkyard, who come together to make the Jellicle Choice and decide who among them is most worthy to ascend to the Heaviside Layer. Each cat presents their story and pleads their case, through song and dance, of course, to their leader, Old Deuteronomy.

Full of colour, spectacle, and song, Cats introduces you to a dizzying array of eccentric, charming, and unique feline characters in an utterly one-of-a-kind adventure.

The colourful history of Cats onstage (and onscreen)

Believe it or not, investors were initially put off by the musical’s unusual and quirky premise, but director Trevor Nunn and choreographer Gillian Lynne joined forces with Lloyd Webber to take the song cycle he’d built out of Eliot’s poems and turn it into a complete musical. Cats opened to positive reviews in the West End in 1981 and on Broadway in 1982 to mixed reviews.

Despite its shaky start, Cats soon became a hit. It ran in the West End for 21 years and on Broadway for 18 years, making it the longest running musical in both theatre districts for a number of years. It also won multiple awards, including an Olivier for Best New Musical and a Tony Award for Best Musical. Cats kickstarted the megamusical phenomenon, inspiring the theatre industry to focus on big-budget blockbuster productions and establishing a global market for musical theatre. Other popular megamusicals you may know include Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, The Lion King, Wicked, and Hamilton.

Cats has sneaked its way onto the silver screen twice, as a direct-to-video film in 1998 and a major feature film in 2019, featuring a star-studded cast that included James Corden, Judi Dench, Ian McKellan, Idris Elba, and Taylor Swift, to name a few. Sadly, both critics and audiences were unimpressed with the film, leading many to conclude that Cats is a musical that works best in its original home, the stage.

The original West End cast of CATS. Source: Felina's Jellicle World.

What songs is Cats best known for?

Cats features 23 songs across its two acts. The most famous one is undoubtedly the chart-topping ‘Memory’, a hauntingly beautiful and poignant song sung by Grizabella during the show’s emotional climax. But other crowd-pleasers include 'Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats', the bombastic opening number that introduces the characters, as well as the rock-style 'The Rum Tum Tugger' and the delightfully villainous 'Macavity: The Mystery Cat'.

What are some famous actors who have performed in Cats?

Some of the most well-known and legendary actors and musicians have donned the fursuits and make-up of the iconic characters of Cats over the years.

The role of fading star Grizabella, singer of 'Memory', was originated in the West End by musical theatre icon Elaine Paige, who took over from Judi Dench, who had to withdraw after an injury (Dench would go on to play Old Deuteronomy in the 2019 film). Grizabella has also been played by Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger in the 2014 West End revival and by British pop star Leona Lewis in the 2016 Broadway revival.

Broadway legend Terrence Mann originated the role of the playful Rum Tum Tugger in the original Broadway production, a role that launched his Broadway career.

British comedy legend and acclaimed Shakespearean actor Brian Blessed originated the role of the wise leader Old Deuteronomy in the original West End production

West End star Zizi Strallen, best known for playing Mary Poppins and Glinda in the West End, played Demeter in the 2014 West End revival.

Why has Cats remained popular all these years?

As a megamusical, Cats has everything we love about musical theatre: a sense of spectacle, elaborate setpieces and jaw-dropping costumes, glorious special effects, and large-scale song-and-dance numbers from a talented ensemble cast.

It features a cast of unforgettable, eccentric, and colourful characters, each one with their own individual characteristics and quirks that make them stand out from the rest, from the fading beauty Grizabella to flirty Bombalurina to the notorious criminal Macavity to the benevolent leader Old Deuteronomy. The score is filled with a variety of delightful and catchy songs, many which have remained entrenched in pop culture for decades.

The story, once considered too odd by investors, has captured audiences’ imaginations with its unique premise and the whimsical, quirky world built around this group of very unusual cats, brought to life by breath-taking set and costume design.

It’s also beloved by queer communities worldwide for its unapologetic flamboyance and vivaciousness, and is often seen as an allegory for the ostracisation of the LGBT community during the 1980s.

Terrence Mann in the original Broadway production of CATS. Photo by Martha Swope.

Fun facts about Cats

In the original costume design by John Napier, each actor’s unitard was hand-painted with unique patterns that represented their character. The costumes were so battered by all the dancing that they had to be replaced every few months!

Marlene Danielle from the original Broadway cast performed in the show for its entire 18 year run, first as Demeter and then as Bombalurina, which won her a Guinness World Record for Longest Standing Musical Performer.

Cats closed in the West End (after a whopping 8,949 performances!) on its 21st anniversary, and its final performance was broadcast live for the public in Covent Garden.

Valerie Eliot, T S Eliot’s widow, told Lloyd-Webber that Eliot came up with the words ‘Pollicle’ and ‘Jellicle’ as a way to poke fun at how the British upper class slurred the words ‘poor little dogs’ and ‘dear little cats’.

The title of the show was originally 'Practical Cats', but was changed when Russ Eglin designed its iconic logo and it was decided that a shorter title worked better with its minimalist design.

When and where will Cats be playing in 2026?

Cats will be playing at the beautiful, sun-soaked outdoor space of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, making it the perfect summer treat for theatre lovers. It will open on July 25th for a strictly limited seven-week run until September 12th, before undertaking a major UK-wide tour through to July 2027. This highly anticipated revival will be directed and choreographed by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Artistic Director Drew McOnie (Jesus Christ Superstar, Brigadoon).

Cats is sure to be one of the major theatrical events of 2026, and between its popularity and limited run, you should book quickly so you don't miss out on the chance to catch this unique, whimsical, and utterly entertaining musical when it returns to the city where all the magic first began.