Antwerp 1996

CATS had its Belgian premiere in Antwerp in 1996. The opening night was 31st May 1996 and ran until 22nd September 1996.

Production Specifics
The show was based on the London production and the 2nd UK Tour. The whole score, the staging, orchestration and the costume design were based on the early London production. So, Mistoffelees sang Gumbie's song instead of Munkustrap, and the spoken lines ("Matinee lines") that were featured in London were introduced. The cast consisted of 22 cats, with Electra but no Bill Bailey.

The songs were sung in Dutch/Flemish with altered lyrics based on the Amsterdam translation. The production used the NAP 15 set which was later transferred to Germany.

This production also featured Veerle Casteleyn as Jemima, called Sylvani, who would later go on to be cast in the same roles in other shows, including the 1997 London and video casts. Other actors like Marco Vermie and Matthew Jessner could already be seen in the Euro Tour; Matthew Jessner also in the Vienna and Paris productions. Oliver Tóth went on to be in the Australian Tent Tour production; Tim van der Straeten played Mistoffelees and Pouncival in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Copenhagen, Marco Kraemer played Skimbleshanks in Hamburg. Roberto de Groot, Veerle Casteleyn and Suzanne Heyne later reprised their roles on the Dutch tour.



Cast
This production followed the 1993 UK Tour in including Electra instead of Bill Bailey/Tumblebrutus, but it appears that the kitten track was also covered by male swings, naming the character "Tombrutus" when the role was performed by a male cover.

Media