Cats performance evaluation

My class performed Cats with the year 13s on Thursday 30th April, accompanying them on their matinee showing and evening showing.

The build up to the performance was quite stressful because the fact we were performing in cats was a last minute process from a vocal perspective. A lot of the staging and singing we did in the final piece, was set and choreographed in the run up to show week. However, we had been dancing to Pecks and Pollicles so we were confident of this aspect of our performance.

One thing that went well for me personally is the way I performed when I came on as a fan girl with Rum Tum Tugger. I feel I used my characterisation skills to their full potential here as I went over the top and out of my way to give off the impression to the audience that Magic, who played Rum Tum Tugger, was the main attraction here and no one could get in the way of his authority.

One thing that went well for us as a class is how well we worked together to raise the total volume of the singing. Singing the lyrics off stage always enhances the overall sound quality of the musical as it gives the audience the illusion that there are more people on stage than there actually are. This also benefits the performers as they would have been dancing at the same time as singing. This is a difficult talent to master and they wouldn't have been at their full vocal volume potential therefore, we helped make up for the difference.

Something that went well as a whole cast was the audience reaction we received in between numbers and at the end of the show. For an actor, this is one of the most rewarding parts of preforming, knowing that audiences sought pleasure from the work you have produced. I believe we received this response as everyone gave their all and put a lot of energy into perfecting movements to the point of precise deliver.

In my opinion, all of the year 13 class did really well performing Cats. It is a very difficult skill to be able to successfully performing acting, singing and dancing at the same time. I really look up to their talent to be able to do this so well as all three qualities take such precision to perfect individually let a all at once.

If I were to do the performance again, I would improve my own performance by spending more time pre-show, learning the lines to the songs. I knew them to an extent however I feel that if I was very confident with them, I would have been able to relax in to my role even more and enjoyed the performance to a higher quality. This is a lesson for me, to always be prepared with lines for every show I am involved in.

For the costume department of Cats, there was an extensive range of glamorous outfits used in the show. This was because the show was based around the fashion industry and fighting to be recognised in the industry. Some of my favourite pieces that characters wore were the fur items. These gave the overall look of the outfit an certain edge and also represented wealth within the musical as fur is an expensive material to own. Their bright and glamorous costume choices really complimented their character's personalities and gave the show the extra showbiz factor it needed.

Through out the whole performance, the year 13 class made the decision to have a line of stage block going straight through centre stage, acting as their catwalk platform. This was the main focus of the stage and helped the singers gain attention on them through out the course of the musical. I think the idea of having staging blocks is also a good idea as it gives the actors room to use levels for the audiences benefit. This was something that worked in their shows, as the entrances and exists were all at different levels. This shows hierarchy and authority within a musical; this is part of  the hidden script to the play.

One of my strongest points during Cats was the dancing side. We had been researching for our dance sequences for months and I felt I knew the moves very well. I made an effort to use my knowledge of extension and focus to boost my overall dance presentation to a high standard. for example, the part I played, a journalist, included a large amount of tablos which involved reaching out to people walking the catwalk. To achieve the highest quality of visual dance, I ensured I used full extension in my arms to show sharp and precise movements. This is greatly favoured over using limp arms as this makes  a performer look as if they aren't putting effort in to their role. Good extension is visually pleasing for audiences as it makes the whole performance seem more professional and thorough.

Overall, I believe Cats was a huge success. They really took a gamble, as no theatre company who had re produced Cats had ever done it in the style we did. This risk paid off in the end as all of the elements needed to produce a show stopping musical, came together and worked well. This project is something for us all to be proud of and I am happy to be able to say I was a part of this fantastic piece.

Final performance- Part 1

Final performance- Part 2

Final performance- part 3