CATS

Weymouth Pavilion

PERSUADING nearly 40 young people to dress up in skin tight lycra outfits, wear weird wigs and exotic makeup, then sing and dance non stop for two hours is a decidedly tall order but this is WOW Youth Musical Theatre and with them just about anything seems possible.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical based on T.S.Eliot’s cat stories and poems is an unlikely choice for a big blockbuster show but that is exactly what it has become with nearly 40 years of performances worldwide, an astonishing feat for a musical without any dialogue, a whimsical storyline and which has only one hit song, Memory

The young school age cast bring energy and grace to this memorable production as they sing while continually on the move in a musical which immediately captures the audience’s attention with its physical style and beauty.

Director and choreographer Jeremy Tustin succeeds in harnessing the enthusiasm of the teenage performers as well as bringing discipline and dedication to their roles in a show that is full of colour, movement and music.

With such a large cast, it is impossible to name all those who have so brilliantly brought to life their characters but Harry Lake, Georgina Mason, Mikey Bailey and Harrison Burley can be said to personify the amazing talent of the whole cast with their emotional roles of curious cats with strange names.

Musical director Heather Reed leads the small but dedicated orchestra in a demanding production for the musicians in which they are continually performing without a break.

The show continues for the rest of the week including a Saturday matinee and full houses are confidently predicted for the young artists onstage.

WOW’s next production will be Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in April next year, definitely likely to be truly scrumptious.

MARION COX