Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury

Cats has a lot of hype to live up to. Since it first opened on the West End stage in 1981, it has become one of the world’s best known and best loved musicals, and has grossed over £1 billion.

Though I knew and loved the songs from a well-played childhood cassette tape (remember those?), I had never seen it performed on stage and wondered how some of the eighties-style synthesised keyboard interludes would stand the test of time. No fear - from the opening moment that multitudes of cats’ eyes lit up in the darkness, spines were tingling.

The prologue, Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats, left us in no doubt of this superb cast’s singing and dancing ability, with thrilling choreography delivered in slick uniformity from the get-go and the uplifting harmonies belted out with passion. A seeming gravity-defying ballet solo by the White Cat, played by Hannah Kenna Thomas, set the bar very high, and it was maintained there by Abigail Jaye as Jennyanydots in her dazzlingly fast tap routine and tassled costume, then by Filippo Strocchi as the funny and funky cat heartthrob, Rum Tum Tugger. The mischeivous and energetic Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were positively acrobatic, and an exquisite first solo of Memory, by Sophia Ragavelas as Grizabella, left us anticipating more in the second half.

Powerful and clear performances by actors Nicholas Pound as Old Deuteronomy and Paul F. Monaghan as Gus spoke of their long and varied career experience, and Clare Rickard gave a stand-out performance as Jellylorum with great clarity and humour. But when the cast came out for their applause, the loudest of cheers and whistles was for Grizabella’s emotional and performance of Memory, which is just as it should be.

Cats is at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury until Saturday, June 28. Tickets from £16. Call 01227 787787 or visit www.marlowetheatre.com