Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats is returning to its original Sydney cradle, the Theatre Royal, for 40th anniversary season celebrating the show’s Australian premiere in July 1985.

Producer John Frost for Crossroads Live said, “Cats is a legendary show that I’ve admired for over 40 years. A sparkling fusion of music, dance and verse, it was revolutionary when it first opened and enticed new audiences into the world of musical theatre. I can’t wait to bring the original production of Cats back to Australia where it all began.”

The revival, slated for June 2025, will be the first mainstage production of the musical based on T. S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats since 2016. Casting is underway.

Cats (international tour company, 2022). Photo © Alessandro Pinna

Cemented into West End and Broadway history, Cats received its world premiere at the New London Theatre in 1981 where it played for 21 years and almost 9,000 performances. The production 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. Cats has...