CATS announces all Australian cast

CATS_editorialThe Producers of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS have announced the all-Australian cast for the acclaimed West End revival which tours Australia from October this year.

Based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the show is set amongst a larger-than-life junkyard playground and is alive with our favourite feline characters including Rum Tum Tugger, Mr. Mistoffelees, Macavity, Jennyanydots, Old Deuteronomy, Grizabella and Skimbleshanks.

The female feline favourites will be Amy Berrisford (Demeter), Madeline Cain (swing), Emma Delmenico (Resident Choreographer/swing), Dominique Hamilton (Rumpleteazer), Ashleigh Hauschild (Tantomile), Jade Hui-Wen Coutts (Victoria/The White Cat), Erin James (swing), Emily Keane (Cassandra), Sarah Landy (Bombalurina), Bree Langridge (swing), Holly Meegan (Jennyanydots), Samantha Morley (Jellylorum/Griddlebone), and Stephanie Silcock (Jemima).

The male cats will be played by Daniel Assetta (Rum Tum Tugger), James Cooper (Admetus/Macavity/Dance Captain), Andrew Dunne (swing), Matt Edwards (swing), Christopher Favaloro (Mr Mistoffelees), Keanu Gonzalez (Alonzo/Rumpus Cat), Ross Hannaford (Skimbleshanks), Sam Hooper (swing), Thomas Johansson (Pouncival), Tobias Madden (Carbucketty), Matt McFarlane (Munkustrap), Stephen Morgante (Resident Director/swing), Brent Osborne (Mungojerrie), Josh Piterman (Bustopher Jones/Gus/Growltiger), Taylor Scanlan (Bill Bailey), Jason Wasley (Old Deuteronomy), and Patrick Whitbread (Coricopat).

This revival of CATS introduces a rapping ‘street cat’ in the famous Rum Tum Tugger role (Daniel Assetta), who will perform some serious breakdancing moves. The actor to play the role of ‘Grizabella’ in Australia is yet to be announced.

One of the longest running shows in the West End and on Broadway, CATS received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981 where it played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances.  The production was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical.

In 1983 the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical and ran for 18 years.  Since its world premiere, CATS has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 15 languages and has been seen by over 73 million people worldwide.

The 2015 Olivier Award-nominated show, which was reworked by the original creative team – Director Trevor Nunn, Associate Director and Choreographer Gillian Lynne, Designer John Napier and Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber – was a smash hit throughout its run at the London Palladium in 2014/15.

CATS opens in Sydney on 30 October and then tours to Hobart, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide finishing in Perth in April 2016. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit: www.catsthemusical.com/Australia for details.