The summer run of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has been extended until 19 September, following its original July opening. The production brings a fresh outdoor staging of the iconic musical based on T S Eliot’s poems.

Cats, the long-running musical that debuted in London’s West End in 1981 and on Broadway a year later, is continuing its open-air season at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre after originally opening on 25 July. The production will now run until 19 September, with its press night held on 6 August.

The show follows the Jellicle Cats gathering at their annual Jellicle Ball, where one cat is chosen to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn. This new staging features a large ensemble, including Fin Adams as Alonzo, Carla Bertran as Electra, and Gary Wilmot in the role of Gus.

The creative team for the production is extensive. Director and choreographer Drew McOnie leads the project, supported by associate choreographer Ebony Molina and resident director and choreographer Josh Baker. Sami Fendall handles set, costume, and wig design, while Jessica Hung Han Yun designs lighting.

Musical direction is provided by Geraint Owen, with Alex Parker as musical supervisor. The production includes a broad range of specialists such as intimacy director Ingrid Mackinnon, fight director Kev McCurdy, and voice coach Fiona McDougal. Casting is managed by Will Burton.

This summer season of Cats is a continuation of the musical’s storied history, following its original London and Broadway runs and a 2019 film adaptation. The open-air format aims to offer a distinctive theatrical experience of the feline classic.

Details for the subsequent tour of the production remain to be confirmed, as does casting for those performances. The extended run at Regent’s Park provides an opportunity for London audiences to revisit a seminal musical theatre work in a novel setting.