Drew McOnie's new revival of Cats officially opened at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre on 6 August, running through to an extended closing date of 19 September. The production is a non-replica revival, meaning it uses entirely new staging and choreography rather than recreating the original 1981 designs. McOnie both directed and choreographed the show. WhatsOnStage

The original Cats ran for 21 years in the West End and 18 on Broadway, making it one of the longest-running musicals of its era. The show's premise: the Jellicle Cats gather at the Jellicle Ball to choose one of their number to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn. WhatsOnStage

McOnie brings a personal connection to the material. He was a former cast member of Cats and has described the musical as a transformative experience for him. This revival is more lyrical and dance-driven than the recent Broadway Jellicle Ball version, which reimagined the show as a ballroom-vogue spectacle. WhatsOnStage

The cast includes Melanie La Barrie as Old Deuteronomy, the wise elder cat who presides over the gathering. Gary Wilmot, a veteran of West End musicals, plays Gus the theatre cat. Jet Yau takes on Mister Mistoffelees, the conjuring cat, and Diante Lodge plays Macavity, the show's elusive villain. WhatsOnStage

Danny Nattrass and Briana Craig play the mischief-making pair Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. Elliot Broadfoot plays Bustopher Jones, the well-fed society cat, and Matthew Caputo plays Skimbleshanks, the railway cat. WhatsOnStage

The design team has built the production around two striking visual anchors. Sami Fendall's set features a great bronze spiral around which the cats assemble. Jessica Hung Han Yun's lighting centres on a huge Jellicle moon suspended above the open-air stage, where the production plays outdoors and exposed to the London evening. WhatsOnStage

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is a 1,240-seat venue in the middle of Regent's Park, operating as a subsidised house during the summer months. Its seasons typically run from May to September, weather permitting, and it has built a reputation for large-scale musical revivals including Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita. The Cats revival extends the theatre's 2026 season into late September. WhatsOnStage