Exotica

Exotica is a character from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, Cats. She initially appeared exclusively in the 1998 film version of the show, 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 mysterious cat, often associated with Coricopat and Tantomile, who are also described as magical characters. She is a shy quiet cat.

Role
The character of Exotica was created specially as a swing character for the 1998 film, Femi Taylor (Movie actress) was Tantomile in the Original London production, and has gone on to high profile roles. But Tantomile had already been cast and the producers wanted to include the high-profile actress. Exotica is rarely seen on screen even in background shots.

The character name has been included as a named swing in South African productions and world tour, and as a named ensemble character in Czech, Swedish, Norwegian, Italian and Mexican productions.