Gerard McCarthy is to star in the West End debut of CAT – (THE PLAY!!!) A playful and cheeky homage to the world of musical theatre, CAT – (THE PLAY!!!) is the fictitious account of how Dave the Cat was sacked from the iconic musical CATS just minutes before curtain-up on opening night. The production performs at the Ambassadors Theatre, London for two nights only, on Tuesday 25 & Wednesday 26 April.
A mirthful parody of show business, CAT – (THE PLAY!!!) follows Dave through his turbulent theatrical career, beginning with his first role as Jesus’ donkey in the original cast of Jesus Christ Superstar. As dreams of West End acclaim and adulation turn to tatters, Dave offers audiences a comedic fictional insight into the backstage drama, romance and intrigue that led to his dreams of stardom becoming nothing more than a distant ‘Memory’.
Starring as the titular feline is Gerard McCarthy. Gerard’s stage and screen credits include Hollyoaks (Channel 4), Titanic: Blood and Steel (Netflix), The Merry Wives of Windsor (The Globe), Saturday Night Fever (West End), Mamma Mia! (West End), Blue Orange (UK tour), Beautiful Thing (UK tour), and BBC Two’s BAFTA nominated The Fall.
Having already enjoyed successful runs throughout Ireland and at the Leicester Curve, CAT – (THE PLAY!!!) is written by Jamie Beamish and Richard Hardwick. The production will be directed by Stephen Whitson and choreographed by Richard Jones
CAT – (THE PLAY!!!)
Venue: Ambassadors Theatre
Date: April 26th 2017
Running Time: 100 mins including interval
Age Restriction: 12+
Website: www.theambassadorstheatre.co.uk
Box Office: 0207 3955405
DAMIEN TRACEY PRODUCTIONS
Previous Producing Credits include Little Shop Of Horrors (UK tour), Footloose (UK Tour), Benighted, (J.B. Priestley World Premiere, Old Red Lion, Nominated for Five Off West End Awards) Warde Street (nominated for Three Off West End Awards including Best New Play, Park Theatre), Asking Rembrandt (Old Red Lion Theatre), Faster Higher (Dominion Theatre) and Roddy Doyle’s Brownbread (Firkin Crane, Ireland). Damien is a Stage One Bursary recipient for New Producers, and was also awarded a Stage One Start Up Fund for his production of Little Shop Of Horrors.
STEPHEN WHITSON
Stephen’s credits include 42nd Street (Associate Director West End), Benighted (Old Red Lion Theatre) Elegies (West End), Putting it Together, The Last Five Years (Lyric Belfast), Barnum (Associate Director UK Tour), Little Women (Birmingham Old Rep), From Here To Eternity (Associate Director, West End) and Private Lives (Associate Director Royal Lyceum). Stephen will also be the UK Associate Director on the West End Transfer of the Broadway Smash Hamilton.
RICHARD JONES
Richard is currently the Resident Choreographer on Mary Poppins International Tour. His theatre credits include: Frank in The Pajama Game (Chichester Festival Theatre & Shaftesbury Theatre); Kiss Me Kate (Chichester Festival Theatre & Old Vic); Crazy For You (Novello Theatre & Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Me & My Girl (Sheffield Crucible) and Chicago (International Tour). His choreography credits include: Assistant Choreographer on Mary Poppins (Vienna and Stuttgart Productions); Beauty and the Beast (Oxford Playhouse); The Addams Family (GSA); Bare (Greenwich Theatre); Steel Pier (Union Theatre); Rent (Greenwich Theatre); Floyd Collins (Southwark Playhouse); and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (Union Theatre).
JAMIE BEAMISH
Jamie’s writing, composition and sound design work includes: CAT – (THE PLAY!!!) (Edinburgh festival, Leicester Curve, Ireland & Germany), Rigor Mortis (Hope Theatre), Give Me Your Hand (Irish Rep., New York), Walter and Lenny (Minerva, Chichester), Madagascar (Theatre503), Anyone Can Whistle (Jermyn Street), As You Like It (Oxford School of Drama), The Vegemite Tales (Leicester Sq. Theatre), Dreamland (Garter Lane, Waterford & Project Dublin), The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Theatre Royal, Waterford) and numerous productions with Little Red Kettle Theatre Co. Ireland.
RICHARD HARDWICK
Richard’s writing credits include CAT – (THE PLAY!!!) (Edinburgh Festival, Waterford, Belfast, Leicester Curve & Germany), Karaoke Kings (National Theatre Studio), Ordinary People (Arcola Theatre) and the longform children’s poem Moon Monkey. Richard trained on the Royal Court young writers program under Simon Stephens, was as Writer in Residence at the National Theatre Studio, and part of the Hampstead Theatre writers outreach programme.
