Locations

The following are in-universe locations shown or mentioned in Cats the musical. Most of these settings are references to real places in London, England, where the musical was originally set.

Heaviside Layer
The Heaviside Layer is a heaven-like place of rebirth for Jellicle Cats. In the musical, the cats have gathered for the purpose of choosing one of their own to go to the Heaviside Layer.

Junkyard
The musical takes place in a junkyard somewhere in London, though the 2019 Cats movie expanded upon the setting by introducing many new locales. Given that a boot is thrown at the cats from a window in "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats", there appears to be a house or apartment next to the junkyard, implying it may be located in an alleyway.

River Thames
The River Thames is a river that flows through southern England including London. It is mentioned in "Growltiger's Last Stand" as being Growltiger's territory, earning him the title of "The Terror of the Thames". The events of "Growltiger's Last Stand" takes place along the River Thames, specifically while Growltiger's barge was docked at Molesey, near Hampton Court. Specific places include Gravesend (20 miles east of central London); Oxford (55 miles northwest of London); Rotherhithe, Hammersmith, Putney, Wapping, Brentford, all within greater London; Maidenhead (30 miles west of London); Henley (37 miles west of London); and Victoria Dock, the largest part of the East London Docklands.

"The Old Bull and Bush" as mentioned in "The Ballad of Billy Macaw" is a famous inn in Hampstead, North London, a considerable distance from the river.

Russell Hotel
The Russell Hotel, now rebranded as the Kimpton Fitzroy London Hotel, is a historic five-star hotel, located on Russell Square, Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. The hotel was built in 1898 by the architect Charles Fitzroy Doll and opened in 1900. It was the tallest building in London during T S Eliot's time.

In the musical, the Heaviside Layer is mentioned as being "Up up up past the Russell Hotel".

Skimbleshanks' Train
Skimbleshanks: The Railway Cat mentions various train stations, visited by the "Night Mail" / "Northern Mail". The include: Crewe; Carlisle; Dumfries; and Gallowgate, which is an extinct station in the south of Glasgow. This "Night Mail" is not accurately referencing the 1936 Night Mail documentary, which was not a passenger service.

St. James's Street
St. James's Street is the principal street in the affluent district of St James's, central London. It is the favourite haunt of Bustopher Jones due to the concentration of Gentlemen's Clubs in the area.

Drones
The Drones is mentioned in "Bustopher Jones: The Cat About Town" as one of Bustopher's favourite clubs. It is a reference to the fictional Drones Club that is said to be located off Piccadilly, in Dover Street, Mayfair, London.

Tottenham Court Road
Tottenham Court Road is a seedy area of London frequently visited by Grizabella, as mentioned in "Grizabella, the Glamour Cat".

The Friend At Hand
A London pub in Bloomsbury, The Friend at Hand is right behind the Russell Hotel. It is some 750 metres / 2,500 feet from "The Rising Sun", indicating that Grizabella covers a lot of ground for a cat.

The Rising Sun
A London pub located along Tottenham Court Road. It is mentioned in "Grizabella, the Glamour Cat" as one edge of the area Grizabella frequents.

Victoria Grove
Home to Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, Victoria Grove is in the affluent area of Kensington, west London, roughly 3 miles from Bloomsbury and the Russell Hotel. Cornwall Gardens, Launceston Place, and Kensington Square are all in the same neighbourhood.

The Wellington Arms
A very common pub name, which does little to pin-point where "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles" may have taken place. Unlike other pubs name-checked in the poems, there is no existing pub in London that matches this description, however the majority of UK pubs have closed since the poems were written.