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Now & forever? What is the legacy of Cats 40 years on?

In Broadway, Features, London theatre, Musicals, Online shows, Opinion, Plays by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

There’s hardly a more insistent ear worm of a song in all of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ear-wormy repertoire than ‘Memory’, the breakout hit of his 1981 musical Cats, which last night celebrated the 40th anniversary of its premiere at the then New London Theatre (now itself renamed for Gillian Lynne, the choreographer whose work on the show ignited a revolution in global musical theatre, and accidentally created the West End’s first authentic dance-based musical).

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Diary of a Theatre Addict: From New York to Edinburgh & Eastbourne, plus meeting Judi Dench

In Awards, Broadway, Features, Interviews, London theatre, Musicals, Opinion, Plays by Mark ShentonLeave a Comment

I’ve not been here with my usual weekly diary of a theatre addict for a month now. 

So today I’m catching up, not on a week, but on an entire month — during which time I’ve been to Edinburgh, Barbados, New York, Eastbourne and of course London. I’ve interviewed Andy Nyman, Sheridan Smith, Joe McElderry, composer Lucy Simon, Janie Dee and Diana Rigg.