How to Live a Jellicle Life: Life Lessons From the 2019 Hit Movie Musical ‘Cats’
Lion & Unicorn Theatre
Reviewed – 21st October 2020
★★★★
“an hilarious journey through the fever dream that is the 2019 movie musical Cats”
In December 2019, the questionable decision was made to turn the Tony Award-winning musical Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber into a blockbuster movie, in which a star-studded cast were transformed into singing and dancing humanoid-felines through the use of some rather dodgy CGI. The bizarre film adaption quickly became a meme that took the internet by storm and left reviewers in despair.
The somewhat surreal experience of watching the movie Cats had an understandably profound effect on many across the world, including Linus Karp, the director, writer and star of the new one-man show ‘how to live a jellicle life: life lessons from the 2019 hit movie musical ‘cats’’.
The show takes the form of a mock lecture in which Karp takes the audience through an animation-filled PowerPoint full of ‘jellicle’ wisdom. He begins by explaining the plot (or lack thereof) of the movie Cats. In short, Cats follows a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night that they make their ‘Jellicle choice’, that is, deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. Unclear? Tough luck! As amusingly noted by Karp, that is about as much of an explanation that Lloyd Webber thought to provide.
The audience is next introduced to the Jellicle cats themselves from the “very sexy” Rum Tum Tugger played by Jason Derulo to the supposed ‘Napoleon of Crime’ Macavity the Mystery Cat. Karp makes hilarious quips and comments about all our new feline friends, and has particular fun presenting the audience with (supposedly) edited snaps of him and the lovely Mr. Mistoffelees, who he declares his true love.
The show is non-stop jokes and parodic musical numbers. The silly tone is set from the very beginning as the audience is seated to a version of Dua Lipa’s song Physical with the final chorus line replaced with ‘Let’s get Jellicle’. Later on in the performance, a disco lights machine is used to accompany a playlist of “gay-friendly pop songs” that ‘celebrate’ the Heaviside Layer. Karp is continually dancing and leaping across the stage, breaking between explanations for a bout of exaggerated musical theatre high-kicks and spins (Sam Carlyle). The absurdity of it all is infectious, and it is evident how much fun Karp is having throughout.
There is some audience participation though the ridiculousness of the show’s concept could have afforded more. Perhaps in post-Covid times, this could be incorporated more, such as a token (like a ‘Jellicle cat’ card) for the attendees to take away.
Karp is not afraid to embrace the jellicle attire (Alison Carlyle), decked out in full-body orange and black striped cat suit, a furry wig-cum-hat, and a red and black feathered tail. Throughout the performance, he adopts ‘cat-like’ movements to comic effect, and an especially funny moment is when he gets distracted by his own laser pointer. The stage is empty apart from the projector screen that sits at the back and a table with a carton of milk that Karp enthusiastically drinks from to open the show. The lights are simply done, a single spotlight on Karp as he prances around the stage.
Karp’s play is an hilarious journey through the fever dream that is the 2019 movie musical Cats. As silly as it is smart, ‘how to live a jellicle life: life lessons from the 2019 hit movie musical ‘cats’’, is a must-see for any person who left a screening of Cats pondering the epitome of philosophical questions: “how can I, too, live a Jellicle life?”
Reviewed by Flora Doble
Photography courtesy Awkward Productions
How to Live a Jellicle Life: Life Lessons From the 2019 Hit Movie Musical ‘Cats’
Lion & Unicorn Theatre until 24th October
Last ten shows reviewed by Flora:
