Exotica

Exotica is a minor character in the musical Cats. She initially appeared exclusively in the 1998 film, played by Femi Taylor. However the name has since been used for ensemble/swing characters in some productions.

Appearance
Exotica generally appears as a dark brown shaded cat, similar to Cassandra but in a darker palette. She has a short wig, no fluff on her unitard, and dark leg warmers. It has been suggested she might be an Abyssinian cat. However in the "Skimbleshanks" number, and a few other shots, she is seen in a different unitard, paler, far more conventional looking with fluff and hatching. There is no apparent reason for this change, and it is generally assumed to be a filming error.

Personality
Little is known about Exotica's personality, as she doesn't feature in any songs or dances. She is considered by many fans to be a shy, mysterious and quiet cat, often associated with Coricopat and Tantomile, who are also described as mystical characters.

Role
The character of Exotica was created specially as a swing character for the 1998 film. Actress Femi Taylor had played Tantomile in the original London production and had gone on to high profile film roles. Although another actress had already been cast as Tantomile in the film, the producers still wanted to include Femi Taylor in some capacity and so Exotica was created. As a swing, Exotica is rarely seen on screen even in background shots.

Since the 1998 film, the character has been included as a named swing in the 2003 world tour, as well as an ensemble character in non-replica productions in Prague, Sweden, Oslo, Italy and Mexico.