#laura darkins

[the-cat-at-the-theatre-door]

Something I've been wondering since a lot of the older cats tend to get cast younger and younger recently - are there any performers you could plausibly see as "real" younger versions of those characters?

Anon, that is actually a super interesting question (and I hope I'm understanding what you're asking for; apologies if I misunderstood - if you are asking whether there are performers who have not played the role but played others and can get away with playing them, honestly I'm not a big proponent of having all super young swings and understudies, and I've spoken at length about that before), but there *are* actually a handful of performers of past (which means that they *were* young when they initially took the role and looked it) and present that I could feasibly see as younger (and by "younger" I mean like more in the 20s) faceclaims or "versions" of my beloved older cats (and that I often will note back too when I'm trying to picture them in my mind).

From what I have heard and seen of them, they also give off more of a younger vibe, either due to the lack of maturity in their voices, or their general dispositions, that I think works well as these characters but younger. Imagine a different bunch of teenagers and gapped teeth babies running around the Junkyard hollering at one another and whining at their parents before *they* became the parents, ahaha.

I can give you some of my favourites to avoid wasting too much space. I can do a Part 2 with Asparagus/Gus, Old D and Grizabella if you're interested:

Skimbleshanks:

Matthew Gould (on his first go around; he aged into it much better the second go - Ross Finnie could technically also take this spot)

Philip Bertioli (and this is a costume thing but his vest always looked too big for him which just amped up the baby vibe)

Giovanni DiGabriele

Hayden Baum (specifically his first go around - that is a baby)

Tyler Keller (who looks *particularly* old photo like in this shot with the filter and expression - slap a black and white or sepia filter over that and tell me that's not an old photograph)

Taylor Scanlan (also *very* baby and *very* pretty*).

(Others for consideration if these don't tickle your fancy: Sandy Rass, Sean McManus, Shaun Henson, Jon-Paul Christensen, Philip Comley, Dann Dunn, Brian O'Muiri, Billy Mahoney, Jarryd Nurden, Park Seong-ryong, Bryan Mottram

Jellylorum:

Catrin Darnell

Susan Powers

Joanna Beck

Lindsay Dyett

Jeanne Montano

Erin James

Annemarie Rosano

(Others: Liz Izen, Louise Tomkins, Bonnie Simmons, Nina Hennessey, Marcy DeGonge, Jennifer Vaden, Thea MacNeil, Lisa-Marie Parker, Carrie Willis, Megan Arseneau, Taila Halford, and Alice Batt. S/O to Pia Douwes who toed the baby line, and nearly all Jellylorums in the Shiki production and a good chunk of the US Tour 5 who are and were - more often than not - quite young and look it)

Jennyanydots:

Stephanie Johns

Lisbeth Brittain

Laura Darkins

Lucinda Shaw

Erica Leigh Hansen

Ellie Nunan

(Others: Mary Trainor, Renée Knapp, Kati Farkas, Jennifer Cohen, Amanda Bay, Laura McCulloch, Melina Charles, Hanny Aden, Alice Redmond, Abigail Dever, Sarah-Marie Maxwell kinda sorta but tbh I think it's the makeup, Eloise Kropp, Maria Briggs - who is like elementary school Jenny -, Emily Jeanne Phillips, Ayumi Kato, and Megan Carton)

[junkyard-gifs]

Just a bunch of half-naked swing cats hanging out in the vocal booth, nothing to see here...

Generally speaking in UK tours, the swing costumes are a more generic version of the kinds of roles a person covers. Babygriz and chorus Deut are used as swing costumes, and the other swings are usually just mix-and-matching wigs and unitards from different characters, with less distinctive makeup. (Victor, Electra, and/or George are sometimes swings too, with their own unique designs.)

In this photo they’ve conveniently arranged themselves from ‘kitten/dance-heavy/acrobatic’ in the middle, moving outward through ‘adult/principal’ roles, to ‘older/most vocal’ at the back.

This is from the 2008 UK tour, hence the rare appearance of Daymon Montaigne-Jones (the Most Naked one) as a swing instead of Tumblebrutus/Bill Bailey, which was a role he played for most of his Cats career. He’s wearing a Bill Bailey unitard and a Carbuckety wig, and his makeup doesn’t have the eye patch of either boy.

Similarly, Pepe Munoz behind him is wearing a costume that’s a blend of Alonzo, Munkustrap/Victor, and Admetus: Alonzo wig, Admetus unitard, symmetrical unremarkable makeup on a grey base instead of Alonzo’s stark black and white. (And, for some reason, an arm warmer. While topless. Pepe why.) He covered Admetus, Alonzo, and Tugger.

Behind him is, presumably, Barry Haywood, who covered Deut and Gus/Bustopher: he’s wearing Deuteronomy’s chorus outfit.

Emily Anderson is the woman in the front beside Daymon, wearing a Tantomile unitard and Jemima wig and makeup.

The two women must be Louise Perez (the other Jemima costume, covering principals like Deme, Bomba, and Teazer) and Laura Darkins (Babygriz costume, covering Jenny, Jelly, and Griz).

[thestageyshelf]

SOLD 🎭 Cats @ New Victoria Theatre Woking 2007 (#33)

Title: Cats

Venue: New Victoria Theatre Woking

Year: 2007

Condition: Wear to covers

Author: Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Based on 'Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats' by T.S. Eliot

Director: Trevor Nunn

Choreographer: Choreographer and Assoicate Director: Gillian Lynne

Cast: Louisa Barrett, Lauren Brooke, Lorraine Chappell, Patrick Clancy, Philip Comley, Zoe Curlett, Laura Darkins, Ryan Dixon, Alex Durrant, Rachel Ensor, Matthew Gould, Barry Haywood, Chrissie Hammond, Nic Ineson, Luke Jackson, Tori Johns, Dean Maynard, Joanne McShane, Zak Nemorin, Tania Newton, James Paterson, Louise Perez, Stuart Ramsay, Trevor Schoonraad, Ian Stroughair, Charlotte Scott, Zoe Smith, Craig Turbyfield, Liam Wrate

FIND ON EBAY HERE