Here's my ticket:
And this is my attempt at a "report". Well, what it is is just me writing down all the stuff I can remember and feel like writing down... um... enjoy?
AAAAAAAAAAEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, I've been trying to do my Etc scream all day and never really got the chance to do one at any volume. AAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEE!!! I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS I'VE SEEN CATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK the rest of this whole report you'll just have to imagine being scattered liberally with screams and I love CATS shouts etc, cos I can't be bothered to type them.
I'm just going to write a report of everything I can remember and type, partly to make sure I can remember everything. Cos CATS live is a zillion times more amazing than the video (which is amazing) and a zillion times better than I thought it could be. It's such an- experience, not just a show - wow...
Right. First of all as soon as I entered the theatre; WOW! This is some theatre. First of all, the stage is circular. And really quite small. Then there are about 5 rows of seats around it divided up by 4 aisles and I was sitting in the third row back (get this) next to an aisle!! Which meant I had cats running up and down next to me the whole time and- um, I'll get to that later. Further up there were balcony seats too. And the whole room was just covered in- junk. Things that looked like boxes, old newspapers, crisp packets, all sorts. And yes, there was the huge "magic" tyre and the hood of the old Ford. Basically, I had one of the best seats there was and I dread to think what sort of a fortune my parents must have forked out for that my "big" Christmas present; a little envelope with four tickets in it...
We were about half an hour early and I was going crazy with anticipation and kept having to stifle my Etc squeals (sorry, that's just what I call them!) Then, at last, the orchestra started to overture, and though I always thought that was boring on the video, here even that was fantastic. You could really see the little yellow eyes glowing from everywhere around and then of course we started moving. I'd almost forgotten the seats were "revolving". The whole stage and the five rows around just turned around and lights came down from the ceiling- the most incredible atmosphere here...
THEN: yesyesyesyes! The Jellicles arrived!!! Demeter first, and the car headlights thing worked really well as you felt you were right there in the junkyard. I'm sure they were stretching out that bar of music just before Munkustrap started to sing as long as they possibly could! And when they all started singing and dancing around it was <insert very impressive impressed adjective here cos I can't think of one good enough!>!!!! I'd sort of imagined the theatre would be huge like the Apollo and we'd be miles away, looking on with opera glasses, but everything was right up close and fantastic. Of course, cats entered up "my" aisle There were a couple of 12 or so year olds in the row opposite me and I think it was Jellylorum patted them on the head and they just looked completely freaked out and it was sooo funny!!
I was really impressed first with Victoria when she did her solo dance, which was obviously perfect and beautiful, but I really liked the way the actress (who was *checks programme* Sorrel Thomas) portrayed her. She was smiling a bit and looked like she was a little proud and maybe wanted to show off her dance which made her seem more real and like a kitten.
Then Etcetera was absolutely brilliant, the perfect Tugger obsessee (and she was very Tugger obsessed) She was *checks again* Sarah-Jane Honeywell. After she'd taken off her mouse mask in Jennyanydots she used it to poke poor Skimble in the bum, and he gave her a little lecture. And when everyone else (almost) was dancing around as cockroaches, she seemed to have forgotten her costume and was just rolling about on the floor getting in everyone's way and having fun. Munkustrap then came and picked her up bodily and dragged her off! (Then she came back...)
Jennyanydots herself was really good; she had the perfect piercing voice when she yelled at the cockroaches who had started sword fighting with the cutlery...
One quite major difference from the video was the way they'd added lines of speech here and there, such as after Jenny's song someone shouted "uh oh!" And then everyone "TUGGER!"
Oh dear... which brings me onto the topic of Tugger himself. I could literally write pages. It was John Partridge (the one person in the show who was the same guy on the video) but he'd completely, um, expanded his role, milking every moment in the spotlight for all it was worth. He ended up as silly as he was sexy (but he was certainly both!) It was there in video, but I here noticed much more the way he just poses sooo much!! Standing all by himself on the tyre while everyone else is dancing down below and doing every "look at me!!" move he can. Also, of course he went up and down my aisle a couple times one of which he grinned and me- and polished my dad's bald head with his tail!!!! Aahh I laughed so hard... A couple times when he was posing I stared straight at him and he gave me this look sorta "What do you think you're lookin' at?"
Anyway in his song, he actually went completely out into the audience (far away from me (un)fortuneatly and I couldn't see too well), but it looked like he planted this big dramatic kiss on some very surprised girl. He was walking around there saying "hmm who've we got here?" And of course that last "about it!" ended up going on for about a minute the kittens were all screaming their little heads off, and this time Tugger had to stuff a handkerchief in Etc's mouth to get her to shut up!
Then Grizabella- and Tugger did his whole fluffing mane thing Chrissie Hammond (Griz) looked just like she was supposed to and my opinion of her singing certainly went up as the show progressed. In her first few lines I wasn't too sure, for a start I couldn't actually hear her too well, but when she sang loudly it was very impressive, and in the last verse of Memory "Touch me" we got the perfect absolutely heart breaking desperate sound.
Demeter and Bombalurina were very very good and made a great contrast with each other. Bomba was looking very nastily at poor old Griz and when Demeter approached her, Bomba just gave her this "what are you doing?" look and walked her away.
Then, Jennyanydots said (I told you they do a lot of new speaking!) "Don't listen to her!" or something like that I've been trying to remember everything, but I'm not sure my brain can take it! And Bustopher Jones arrived He looked almost exactly like video, but I think he was even funnier cos he kept making all these "arumph" "hahahumph" sort of murmuring to himself noises as he walked around...
BIG SCARY CRASH! Which WAS actually very big and scary. And everyone ran off apart from a couple people. After Demeter had done her "Macavity!" thing, Munkustrap stayed on stage shouting "WAIT!! Maybe it's NOT Macavity" but, hey, then he gave up and left too!
And on came Mungo & Teazer. I was just amazed they could actually sing with all the jumping around they were doing! What I loved here obviously is that the song was much longer than the video since they had all the cut verses in... They didn't have strong Cockney accents this time, but it still worked quite well with the fairly normal/maybe-slightly-eastend accents they had. They didn't crash into each other clumsily here, they just put their sacks down carefully before they started their dance... Which turned out to be a big mistake! Because after "and there's nothing at all to be done about that!" the rest of the cats appeared, rather annoyed at being scared off and played keepaway with the sacks...! There were quite a few cats taller than poor Mungo & Teazer there I actually thought they were being a bit mean cos Munk then shouted "Now let's teach them a lesson!!", but before anything else, Old Deut arrived and everyone had to calm down somewhat.
Old Deut himself was cool - I remember thinking he must have been boiling to death in his 'walking rug' (affectionate nickname of mine...) costume! Stage hands had to bring him a glass of water in the interval... But that's another story! Anyway, his song. Munk and Tug were perfect again... this Munkustrap definitely had the exasperated look well and truly covered! And all the kittens in the background were just fiddling around, Etc bouncing up and up and up on the little trampoline...
And oh my goodness... the Pekes
and the Pollicles... AAAAH! This was soooo funny! The first two
dogs were actually Teazer and Carbucketty (AAH! I keep
typing Pouncival and it wasn't cos he didn't exist here!)
which was interesting cos CARBUCKETTY (NOT Pounce!) was flirting
quite a bit with Teazer during Old Deut and Gus's numbers. I
dunno what the difference was, but somehow being there and seeing
all the cats wearing boxes and shoes on their heads was just
too funny...
And, sorry, but I can't help mentioning Tugger here again. His
bagpipes thing was great of course- and he came down my aisle
and said to the man in front "D'you want a go on my pipes?"
but didn't actually let him. I also nearly got hit in the face
by his tail again!
The Great Rumpus Cat!!! He bounced onto the stage (I think) via the trampoline- it just seemed like he popped up out of the floor- of course, behind Munkustrap and the others who were all pointing forwards expectantly... And I loved his flashing red eyes!
The Jellicle Ball!!! was just completely. and. absolutely. stunning. And- to my great surprise, unless I saw wrong (which I don't think I did, judging by the *distinctive* black and white striped face!) that it was Alonzo who danced with Victoria I tried to see everyone's partner in the so called "mating dance" (I'm not sure that's really what it is!) Tugger was with Bombalurina at last which does make sense... The only other pair I really saw was - Jemima and Mungojerrie! I was desperately trying to see who Teazer was with, but I couldn't.
Oh yes!! How could I forget? I looked to the aisle at the front of the stage halfway through the ball, my attention having been grabbed by the people shouting and pointing and the white blur doing literally about 20 (back? I couldn't see!)flips in front of the seats!!!! And I'm pretty sure it was Pounc- no, Carbucketty I thought maybe it was Etc, but she was on stage and I think Mungo & Teazer were too. Everyone just started clapping and cheering in the middle of the number!
And that brings me onto the whole Carbucketty thing. I think I'm in love! :D Seriously, I thought he (Jye Frasca) was a perfect mischievous little kitty and one of the most "cat-like" on stage. He kept doing all these cute little cat actions like scratching himself or showing off the little mouse he'd caught. Then again, I may be slightly biased in his favour cos he came and said hello! Well, what happened was that he was on the little aisle next to me and he just stopped and looked at me and stayed there for about half a minute! So I did this mad stupid grin (argh!) and waved and then he grinned or possibly laughed at me and dashed on stage! Anyway he was totally adorable!
And also, on the general subject of characters, Cassandra completely intrigued me. She was really a total loner here, mostly hovering on the sidelines even when everyone else was dancing. She did at least once get a dance with Alonzo and I think there was maybe something with Munkustrap but she looked quite confused and lonely a lot. Then sometimes she'd try to push herself forward, once even doing a Tugger impression and posing on the old Ford. But yeah, very mystical and just- intriguing.
Then there was Memory. I think I've already said about Grizabella. She had a nice rich voice when she actually sang loud enough especially on the low notes and high notes sounded just- like Griz; lonely and desperate.
During the interval, one cat (find out who later!!) stayed sitting on the tyre. People starting pouring onto the stage. And then I got nudged and my mum said "They're going for autographs!" I wasn't going to go, since I was one of the oldest young people there (this was a matinee) and certainly the only person under 16 to go on stage that wasn't toddling around attatched firmly to someone's hand. But anyway, I did go, and received, on the front of my programme in silver pen, the autograph: "love, Old Deuteronomy"!!!
*squirms with embarressment*- we were late for the 2nd half! My mum and I had gone to the ladies and there was about a mile long queue. By the time we got out, there was no queue and it had gone very quiet. I just thought "I hope these doors are just soundproof" no such luck! Fortuneatly, we only missed "The moments of happiness, we had the experience but missed the meaning and an approach to" And VERY fortunately, we were actually allowed in halfway through the song. It only occurred to me later that we might not have been allowed in till the number was over. Then I would have missed Jemima's first song which I really wanted to hear.
Jemima sounded a lot somehow younger than I'd thought- her voice wasn't as rich and beautiful as on the video. But still, it seemed to fit alright, although Old Deut saying "Tell them, child" was a bit redundant... *meh* I dunno why I'm complaining at all, this was the best thing I've ever seen. Eeeeeeeeeee!!!!
Gus: the really funny thing about this song was that the audience clapped at least six times before the song was over! Peter Polycarpou (Gus) was very funny, covered in a patchy blanket which he threw off to be Growltiger. His character was quite different from John Mills on the video, not so decrepit-old really, but so funny and in a strange way, sweet! "Blood curdling noises to bring on the ghost!" was followed by a rather non-blood-curdling "who-oo-oo-oo"! Aww...
In the background of this, you could see Pouncival- ARGH Carbucketty- in particular was being very sweet showing off and flirting with Teazer and Bombalurina. Etc seemed to be getting a little bored and started bouncing up and down with increasing vigour on the trampoline again until Munkustrap stopped her.
And: GROWLTIGER'S LAST STAND!! I've finally actually seen it!! Griddlebone (Jellylorum(Rebecca Lock)) and Growltiger were so funny when they were singing their duet- which was the one in Italian not Billy McCaw. Growltiger sung a couple verses, and while Griddlebone seemed vaguely interested for the first two lines or so, she soon got very frustrated and tried to push him out of the spotlight. Getting no attention whatsoever from him, she just thrashed about annoyedly (that's a real word) and feathers from her boa kept flying away. She came across as more sort of petty and silly than I'd imagined and she was just as much a show off as Growltiger... So funneeeee!!
I really like Skimbleshanks song, just cos I think it would be so much fun to be there singing it... And seeing the train get put together right there on stage was so cool; all the cats dashed off the sides of the stage and pulled bits and pieces out of little holes. What was really sweet was the way Quaxo/Misto was standing on top of the tyre organizing them all! And at the end after the train had "broken down" (Skimble had such a funny look on his face!) and the pieces went away again, Cassandra was the one "magically" lifting up the old Ford hood and Misto disappeared into it along with the bits of the train!
And they started to repeat a verse and actually got interuptted by the loud scary Macavity crash. And the big evil laugh- and on came Macavity with two hench rat/cats/whatever. He shouted dramatically: "Take him!! I'll be back for you!" And then - went . Macavity's not there
I was really really impressed with Demeter (Barbara King) in 'Macavity'. She looked really tense and confused and scared the whole time, and there was a little instrumental where she was just shaking her head and generally looking really frustrated with herself.
When Macavity came back again- well, he actually appeared first out of a doorway by the seats on the balcony across the theatre and then a moment later popped up on our side, laughing again. He grabbed Demeter (I was scared for her just then!) but was stopped by Munkustrap so he just dropped her and Jemima came and tried to comfort her (and I noticed again how similar those two are- they've got to be related or friends or something...) And it was actually very scary!! And the lights didn't go out so much as explode; there was a moment when Macavity was standing with these two giant metal clamps and there was an electric hum and flickering lights and everyone was staring at him: don't don't and then- POW!
And a little later, Admetus (same guy who played Macavity...) crept up the aisle next to me to join the rest of the cats and gave me this little innocent smile like "What? Me? Macavity?"
Mister Mistoffelees number (although Tugger seemed to be trying his hardest to make it his number!) was fantastic. Wow, can Ben Tyrell dance! At one point he was doing (I should have counted!!) about 20 or 30 consecutive spins on one foot and then of course he went into that spinning around the edge of the stage and I just can't believe he didn't fall off- wasn't he dizzy???? And one other thing: it was Bomba he chose to be his assistant, interestingly... And when Old Deut came back- it was so very sweet! Misto just jumped into his arms!
But yeah... Tugger... *giggle* "LADIES..." (big smile and swinging hips*). Then (shrug): "and gentlemen." (boring), "I give you..." And when Old Deut was recovered, there was this absolutely priceless moment with Tugger saying "The magical, the marvellous..." and Old Deut gives Tugger an indulgent sort of smile, sort of "yes, Tugger, we know you're amazing." and then Tugger shook his head: "Mr Mistoffelees!!!!" And Old D looked so absolutely, completely, mouth dropping open stunned!
Grizabella, Memory, beautiful... And I realised again: I'm at CATS- and it's nearly over!!!!
Fortunately for me, after the Addressing of Cats, there were mini-encores of Skimbleshanks and Mr Mistoffelees. I was just clapping as hard as I could and my whole arms were aching... Didn't matter... I just didn't want it to end. Tugger picked up Mistoffelees -about half his size- and carried him off stage! (Misto was so sweet!! Did I mention that? He's another one I saw up and down my aisle a lot and nearly got hit in the face by his tail!)
So I now have a souvenir booklet,
a programme
(signed by Old Deuteronmy!!), my precious tickets and the best
memories ever! And now I want go back right now!!! So if anyone
feels like giving me some more tickets and the coach fare to
London...? Please feel free!!
Here's my ticket:
16th January: I've just heard some really BAD news... CATS is closing in London in May after the 21st anniversary thing. *sad face* that really spoiled my day... I really, really hope to go see it again before that, even if I have to hitch hike to London and make the money busking (well, nearly)! It'll be back though (maybe at just the right time for me to be in it???)
28th of March: Expect to see another show report sometime soon! Yes, that's right I'M GOING TO CATS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YEY!!! I'm so happy... but also still sad... Anyway: May 6th - 5 days before it closes. Agh, it was a saga and a half actually getting tickets, I can tell you! Shall I? Go on... Well, I had been bugging my mum (nice of me) for weeks and weeks and weeks about going again, she kept trying to dissuade me, can you believe it? with things like "but you've already seen it!" (and so...?) and "well, won't you just want to see it again again?" (yes, but that's not the point!). Well, finally she actually phoned the ticket ppl (this was Feb sometime) asking for any matinees over the easter break. Not. a. single. ticket. Evenings? No. I felt awful! I'd just been so happy she'd actually phoned up, it had hardly occured to be that there really wouldn't be a ticket! May? No matinees. But... a couple evening performances! Unfortunately I was in school for most of them. Then my mum spotted the glorious date May 6th on the calender with "no school" written next to it. HOWEVER, she then realised that it wasn't the start of 1/2 term holidays, just bank holiday. AAA! school the next day etc etc. But I can be very persuasive... ^^ And my dad offered to take us in the car (even tho for some obscure reason he actually didn't want to go??)
...and so I'm going. And I've just written about 100 words about the angst of getting tickets! Anyway: