Three Grizabellas named for Cats UK and Ireland tour opening in Plymouth
Three performers will share the role of Grizabella in the UK and Ireland tour of Cats.
Louise Dearman, Alice Fearn and Rachael Wooding have been confirmed in the part, according to the casting announcement reported by WhatsOnStage. It is a job-share at its heart. Audiences in different towns will see different performers in the role on different nights.
The tour opens at Theatre Royal Plymouth on 6 October 2026. That opening performance is the first date of a journey that will move from venue to venue. The run is presented by Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals, the company named as producer for the tour, as reported by WhatsOnStage.
In theatre, a presenter is the producer who puts the tour on the road. That includes booking venues, assembling the company and carrying the costs of moving the show. A tour, meaning the same production plays a string of different theatres, then relies on each local venue for box office and front-of-house staff. For anyone new to touring, that means sets, costumes and company travel together.
A shared lead is normal on a big tour. It means the three performers will alternate and cover the schedule between them. Long weeks on the road are demanding. Vocal rest matters. This kind of cover keeps the show on stage night after night.
Rachael Wooding already knows this staging well. She played Grizabella during the run of Cats at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London. That experience gives continuity as the production leaves London. She carries the role forward into the touring version.
The tour follows that Regent's Park revival. That production was directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, meaning he shaped both the staging and the movement. Touring versions often build directly on an earlier staging. Costumes, choreography and direction travel with the show, adapted for different stages.
For fans, this means Plymouth sees it first. Each later venue will usually confirm which performer is due on which date. Check with the local box office before booking if you hope to catch a particular Grizabella. Tour casting can vary by week.
Plymouth is first. The gap between announcement and opening is short. The casting news came on 1 October, five days before the first performance. That quick turnaround is common when a tour is ready to open.
Dearman, Fearn and Wooding all arrive with long experience in musical theatre. Three voices bring three readings of the same part. The record is simple: three names, one role, and an opening date. The show now heads out to meet its next audiences.
