Preview: Cats at Sunderland Empire

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LET THE MEMORY LIVE AGAIN

Cats

Sunderland Empire

Monday 19^th – Saturday 24^th September 2016

Photo: Alessandro Pinna

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s record-breaking 2015 Olivier award nominated musical Cats returns to Sunderland Empire direct from its sell-out seasons at the London Palladium, for one week only from Monday 19 – Saturday 24 September 2016.

Photo: Alessandro Pinna

Based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, Cats first returned to the West End in December 2014 reuniting the original creative team - Director Trevor Nunn, Associate Director and Choreographer Gillian Lynne, Designer John Napier and Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber. Following a second season at the London Palladium this Christmas the production will embark on a new tour into 2017.

Photo: Alessandro Pinna

On just one special night of the year, all Jellicle cats meet at the Jellicle Ball where Old Deuteronomy, their wise and benevolent leader, makes the Jellicle choice and announces which of them will go up to The Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life.

Photo: Alessandro Pinna

Casting includes Marianne Benedict (Grizabella) Kevin Jones (Old Deutoronomy) Matt Krzan (Munkustrap) Marcquelle Jermaine Ward (Rum Tum Tugger) Shiv Rabheru (Quaxo/Mistoffelees) Greg Castiglioni (Bustopher Jones/ Asparagus/ Growl Tiger) Lee Greenaway (Skimbleshanks) Emily Langham (Rumpelteazer) Joe Henry (Mungojerrie) Celia Graham (Jellylorum/ Griddlebone) Megan Armstrong (Bombalurina) Helen Turner (Demeter) Lucinda Shaw (Jennyanydots) Sophia McAvoy (Victoria) Phoebe Lewis (Jemima) Danielle Cato (Cassandra) Gabrielle Cocca (Tantomile) Enric Marimon (Carbucketty) James Titchener (Coricopat) Javier Cid (Macavity/Admetus) Aaron Hunt (Bill Bailey) Josh Andrews (Rumpus/Alonzo) Grace Mckee, Alice Cornwall, Lucy Brushett, Oliver Ramsdale, Dane Quixall, Guy Salim (Swing) and Connor McAllister (Walking understudy).

Photo: Alessandro Pinna

Cats, one of the longest-running shows in West End and on Broadway, 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 eighteen years.  Since its world premiere, Cats has been presented in over 30 countries, has been translated into 10 languages and has been seen by over 50 million people world-wide.  Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings won Grammy Awards for Best Cast Album.  The classic Lloyd Webber score includes Memory which has been recorded by over 150 artists from Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis to Liberace and Barry Manilow.

Photo: Alessandro Pinna

The 2016/2017 tour of the Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Theatre production of CATS is again presented by David Ian.

Tickets:

Tickets available in person at the Box Office on High Street West, from the Ticket Centre on
0844 871 3022* or online at www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland*

*Calls cost up to 7p per minute plus your standard network charge. Booking fees may apply to telephone and online bookings