# ‘Never felt so scared’: the Cats obsessive who’s created a feral dance version of the purr-fect musical

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/never-felt-so-scared-the-cats-obsessive-whos-created-a-feral-dance-version-of-the-purr-fect-musical/
- Published: 2026-08-03T07:00:43+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-03T07:12:39+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/aug/03/cats-regents-park-open-air-theatre-dance-musical
- Topics: Culture, Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Drew McOnie reworks Cats for Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.
- He auditioned for the original show aged 17 in Germany.
- New version mixes street, jazz and classical dance styles.

## Summary

Choreographer Drew McOnie is creating a new dance-led production of the musical Cats at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London, drawing on his own history with the show. As a 17-year-old, McOnie skipped school to audition and, within days, joined an international production in Germany, a formative experience that launched his career as a dancer, director and Olivier award-winning choreographer. Now artistic director at the venue, he says reinterpreting Gillian Lynne's celebrated original choreography feels daunting given his admiration for her and the show's significance to his own life.

McOnie's version blends street, commercial, jazz and classical dance influences to give the production a contemporary, "feral" energy that he believes echoes how groundbreaking the original felt in the 1980s. Rehearsals feature a mix of experienced performers and standout student dancers, whom McOnie has sought to draw out of their reserved exteriors into more expressive, energetic performances. He also praises Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he has worked on both this production and Jesus Christ Superstar, describing him as witty, sharp and rigorous.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.