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Show: CATS
Society: Stamford Showstoppers
Venue: Stamford Corn Exchange Theatre
Credits: TS Elliott / Andrew Lloyd Webber
Type: Sardines
Author: Alexander Wood
Performance Date: 23/09/2021
Cats
Alexander Wood | 26 Sep 2021 17:06pm
Cats Purr at Stamford
To the spectacularly pretty town of Stamford to see Stamford Showstoppers’ production of Cats – a show I saw at its first home of the New London Theatre (one of a few genuine hit shows performed there) and which I had the great pleasure to see again when an extraordinarily good touring version visited Northampton’s Derngate a few years ago.
So the bar was high, albeit with an allowance for an amateur production.
I’m pleased to be able to say that Director Nicola Sandall, her production team and the cast pass the test. Praise indeed given that this big production had to be created through Zoom and more recently with outdoor rehearsals and everything else in between.
What an intelligent choice to avoid furry costumes for this production – the cast appear in a variety of well-chosen and attractive outfits ( with, I think, a 60’s/70’s theme) and make-up which is spectacularly good, each character with a unique design (special commendations to Fay Wilkins, Lia Pick and their team of helpers for this).
Add to this some very good – and ambitious on a fairly small stage – choreography, movement and a cast who maintain their roles with obvious enthusiasm and relish from the first note to the last it’s clear from the beginning that the audience are in for something of a treat.
A lot of effort had been made in creating the set, grey and dusty with various larger than life elements, and a huge moon, though the out-of-scale settee doesn’t seem quite right.
One of the charms of the show is that it is very much an ensemble piece and whilst there is no doubt that this production was very much that there are some stand-out performances.
Two characters who are at the centre of the action for much of the show are Munkustrap (Glen Whitmore) and the Rum Tum Tugger (Neri Zaccardelli). Apparently Glen had to be persuaded to be in the show but what an asset to it he is in a superbly confident turn as one of the leaders of the group. And Neri doesn’t hold back in a role usually played by a male – cheeky, funny and cool she has great stage presence throughout.
There are extremely strong singing performances throughout from Zoe Stebbings as Demeter and Blaize Jones White as Bombalurina. I especially enjoyed their duet ‘Macavity’ where they manage to balance a tone of disapproval with more than a hint of admiration for that ‘monster of depravity’.
In what for me was the most touching part of the show Gus, the theatre cat, recalls the highlights of his career, accompanied by Jellyorum, his companion. Andrew Cleaver (who, admirably, also performs as Bustopher Jones earlier in the show) delivers a very thoughtful characterisation of the old stager, accompanied in a delightful performance by Cassandra Pattison (also Musical Director) who has a pretty, strong voice and just the right amount of movement to support Gus’ words.
And Charlotte Burgess is suitably enchanting in the role of Mistoffelees.
I was slightly disappointed by the Mungojerry/Rumpleteazer number – which I think needs more polish and pace. And also disappointing – in spite of Jacqui Melton’s strong voice and a vibrato that suited the role admirably – was the portrayal of Grizabella. She sings ‘I can smile at the old days, I was beautiful then’… and yet as presented in this production she looks as bright as a button, her costume fresh as a daisy.
Chorus work is of a consistently high standard and I was especially impressed by the principal dancers, who perform with an astonishing amount of energy and skill.
Sound is fine – the show uses a pre-recorded track but I sensed that lighting could have been improved.
All in all though, this is a very good amateur production of Cats.
- : admin
- : 23/09/2021