I've been an obsessive cat person for years, so going to see CATS 
   has been an ambition of mine for a while now :) Being in Australia, 
   I jumped at the chance to see the show once I heard it was touring 
   here. I've never even seen the video, so this was a first for me!

   This production is called CATS: Runaway To The Circus, 
   (www.catsrunaway.com.au if you want more info) so called 
   because it's performed under a bigtop. The first tent was decorated 
   like a circus scene, and then you moved into the actual theatre 
   part. The theatre isn't very large, so even those up the back aren't 
   too far away from the stage, which made the performance very 
   intimate. We (myself and my fiance) were thrilled that our seats 
   were in the second row, and seeing as the front row was right up 
   against the stage, we were VERY close to the action!

   Right near where we were sitting was a big pipe that the performers 
   scurried in and out of, and there were catwalks (no pun intended) 
   leading out into the audience, and we were right next to one. 
   Whenever the cast left the stage, some of them would go dashing 
   up the catwalks and disappear into the audience.

   The junkyard has a distinct Australian flavour, with Aussie brand 
   beer bottles, food containers and the like incorporated into the front 
   of the stage. There was a huge license plate in the middle of the 
   junk onstage. Being in Queensland, it read "QLD 01", but I think 
   they change it depending on which state they are performing in, 
   which I thought was a nice touch!

   Being so close, I could actually see the performers' faces up close. 
   Sometimes it was actually kind of creepy when they'd stare at 
   you, and talk right to you, especially during items like The Naming 
   Of Cats. You felt a real connection with the characters, which 
   really drew you into the emotion of the show.

   Being in the bigtop allowed them to incorporate some trapeze acts 
   into the show. They would swing out over the stage, hanging 
   upside down. There was a rope draped high across the stage 
   which one cat swung from. He wrapped it around his legs so he 
   could stand up straight and swing back and forth. You'd never 
   catch me up there!

   Rum Tum Tugger was a real crowd pleaser, dancing with one lady, 
   and girating in an Elvis like fashion whenever he had a big number. 
   Seeing all the female cats swoon over him was adorable! When he 
   began singing Mr Mistoffilees, he walked to the front of the stage 
   and the positioning of the lights meant that an enormous shadow of 
   him showed up against the backdrop with the moon. Being so 
   close to the stage, this effect looked incredibly spectacular! Near 
   the end of the show, Rum Tum Tugger got the audience clapping 
   along. That's one of the amazing things about CATS, that the 
   audience can get so involved with the show!

   The whole performance was breathtaking, magical and inspiring. I 
   almost cried in the last verse of Memory, so that should give you 
   an idea of how incredible the cast were! It was far more magical 
   than I had ever imagined!! :)

   - Joann