Review: Cats at The Civic

Tina Cross in costume as Grizabella in the musical 'Cats' at the Civic Theatre. Photo / Janna Dixon

It is difficult to think of Cats without envisioning the iconic West End or Broadway extravaganzas that redefined contemporary musical theatre.

But in the hands of Harlequin Musical Theatre - a local company that began as the Howick Light Opera and is currently celebrating its 50 anniversary - the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic is brought down to Earth.

Without the mega-budget production design and dazzling special effects it is possible to imagine what it might have been like when Cats was first conceived.

Before the show premiered in 1981 few would have predicted that a record-smashing hit might emerge from a musical that follows the transcendental yearnings of a rag-tag tribe of cats drawn from the poetry of the 20th century's gloomiest genius.

But when you strip away the glitz, it is clear that much of the show's appeal can be put down to the poetry of TS Eliot, which bluntly acknowledges the awfulness of daily life but is driven by an intense longing for personal redemption.

At its best the production captures this spirit - most particularly in the standout performance by Tina Cross as the faded glamour cat Grizabella.

Her slow-burning rendition of the signature tune Memory evokes all the pathos of lost dreams before exploding in a spine - tingling crescendo.

In a similar vein Neville Scelly gives a moving performance as the ancient theatre cat Gus with his voice straining to breaking point as he forlornly tries to summon up the vigour of his youth.

There is also plenty of humour with Shane Cortese revelling in the role of the super stud Rum Tum Tugger.

And Theresa Tapp brings a nice Kiwi inflection to her interpretation of the house proud Jennyanydots.

Grant Messe's direction tries to match the grandeur of the original rather than undertaking the thorough re-interpretation that this kind of production requires.

The emphasis is kept firmly on the dancing and although the huge cast are not lacking in enthusiasm, the demanding choreography highlights the extent to which chorus work depends on the polish of highly-trained professionals.

However, individual dancers produce some fine moments with Geordan Wilcox's classical experience shining through his performance as Mr Mistoffelees while Andrea Grant and Clinton Meneses bring a healthy dose of pizzazz to their wonderfully athletic duet.