Cats at Cheltenham Centaur

12 to 30 June - You don’t have to wander all the way to the West End to catch the musical Cats, it’s coming to Cheltenham's Centaur this June.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning musical Cats, is scratching its way to the county this summer for three weeks of world-renowned performances at Cheltenham Racecourse’s Centaur. But you may have to sharpen your claws to stand a chance of getting tickets, as they are selling out fast – and some dates have already sold-out.

Lloyd Webber’s award-winning composition, combined with outlandish costumes, stunning sets and groundbreaking choreography have all contributed to making Cats one of the longest running and most popular shows in history. Since opening in London’s West End in 1981 Cats has gathered a growing fan base spanning the globe – with professional performances being staged in more than 250 cities and in more than 20 languages.

And now, as part of a national tour celebrating Cats’ 25 years of show-stopping success, the Centaur joins the list of venues up and down the country who will be staging Lloyd Webber’s re-working of the modern musical. While die-hard fans can be assured that their favourite numbers are all there, the composer has said he has improved certain scores to give Cats a ‘second life’ – presumably from its nine.

In short, the fantastical storyline (based on T.S Elliot’s Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats poetry anthology) centres on a ragtag gang of delightful characters who make up the Jellicle cats. Each year they meet at a junkyard for the Jellicle Ball and to discover if their leader Old Deutoronomy has selected them to go up to the heaviside layer and be reborn into a new Jellicle life.

Mixing magic and mystery, dance and drama, fans and first-timers alike can expect Cheltenham’s Cats to be one of this summer’s highlights.

Event: Cats
Venue: Centaur at Cheltenham Racecourse
Dates: Tuesday 12 to Saturday 30 June 2007
Tickets: Cost from £18-£35 from The Everyman Theatre

SoGlos.com
20 May 2007