SINGAPORE – It probably comes as no surprise that the cast of iconic musical Cats are cat lovers and have them as pets.
But being part of an international touring production means having to leave their beloved felines at home.
With assistance from the Cat Welfare Society, four of the musical’s performers paired up with local rescue cats for an interview and photo shoot on Nov 5.
Featuring the music of theatre legend Andrew Lloyd Webber, the long-running West End and Broadway musical premiered in 1981. In Singapore for its fifth outing, Cats is playing at Sands Theatre at Marina Bay Sands until Nov 22. It was previously staged here in 1993, 2009, 2015 and 2019.
With seven Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and a Grammy for its cast album, Cats pioneered the concept of the megamusical, with intricate and spectacular sets, costumes and choreography.
Set in a junkyard playground with feline characters who come out to play on the night of the Jellicle Ball, the story is based on English poet T.S. Eliot’s poetry collection Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats (1939).
South African actor-singers Che-Jean Jupp, Hannah Marshall, Zoe McLaughlin and Brittane van Loggerenberg talk to The Straits Times about getting into character and whether the local cats they were paired with during the interview are similar in temperament to the cats they portray on stage.
Che-Jean Jupp (Munkustrap) and Noir
Cats actor Che-Jean Jupp with local cat Noir.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Che-Jean Jupp plays grey tabby tomcat Munkustrap, the main narrator and brave protector of the Jellicle tribe in Cats.
The 23-year-old, who joined the current tour in 2025, says playing the character demands a balance of athleticism and calm authority on stage.
“Learning how to walk on the ground, firstly from your feet, and then also on all fours, is a big challenge because you have to embody how a cat walks through their feet,” he says.
He spent hours watching and learning from his one-year-old black rescue cat with bright orange eyes that inspired his name, Pumpkin. “I can sit and watch him for hours. It’s fascinating watching how a cat walks and they don’t make a sound. Just watching Pumpkin walk was really interesting in building Munkustrap.”
Cats cast member Che-Jean Jupp as Munkustrap.
PHOTO: HANAN ASSOR
Jupp says Noir, the 11-year-old black cat he was paired with, is a kindred spirit to Munkustrap.
“Noir seems very laid-back, timid and calm. Munkustrap is very calm in his energy, but when he needs to be, he’ll take charge and take action. In Noir, I saw a lot of that calm energy.”
Noir, a male domestic short hair, was rescued from a condominium ledge, rehabilitated in foster care and trained as a therapy cat.
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