Cats: Young Actors Edition, developed in conjunction with iTheatrics, will give schools the purr-fect resources to produce this much-loved show (LONDON, 8 September 2022) The Really Useful Group, wholly owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber, today announces a new version of the international phenomenon, Cats, specially adapted for young actors, guaranteed to give them a Memory to last a lifetime. With Cats: Young Actors Edition schools and youth groups can access a show pack of materials, which includes a production guide, student vocal books, piano/vocal score, guide vocal tracks, backing tracks, official artwork, and instructional choreography and staging videos. This new, one-hour version of Cats will be available for all schools and children’s theatre groups across the country from today. It introduces students to the beloved tail and musical sensation in a completely accessible way, while capturing the magic of the record-setting global production. As schools and youth groups begin to look forward, after two challenging years, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this production is designed to support teachers looking to bring more arts and drama activities back into their schools. Adapted from T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, Cats, one of the longest-running shows in West End and Broadway history, received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981. It played for 21 record-breaking years and almost 9,000 performances. The groundbreaking production originally directed by Trevor Nunn and featuring musical staging by Gillian Lynne was the winner of the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical. In 1983, the Broadway production became the recipient of seven Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, and ran for 18 years. Since its world premiere, Cats has been presented in over 30 countries, translated into 15 languages and seen by more than 73 million people worldwide. Both the original London and Broadway cast recordings received Grammy Award® Nominations for Best Cast Show Album, with the Broadway cast winning the award in 1983. The magnificent musical score includes one of the most treasured songs in musical theatre – “Memory,” which has been recorded by over 150 artists from Barbra Streisand and Johnny Mathis, to Liberace and Barry Manilow. With universal appeal and an expandable cast of different age groups, the show has not only been presented in theatres, but also in tents in Japan and Korea, an engine shed in Switzerland, and school gymnasiums across the USA. The full version of Cats is already available for schools and youth groups to licence. The new Young Actors Edition provides an alternative approach for those teachers who value more supporting material.
