I never understood the sneering and downright opprobrium that was so often directed at the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber by theatre lovers keen to display a wearisome sense of superiority. The juggernaut international popularity of his myriad shows increasingly irked those who like to keep their interests elite – if the common folk enjoy something, it’s time to move on – and this trend was at its height when I started as a professional theatre critic 25 years ago. Yet, as a glorious new production of Cats stretches its mighty paws at the Open Air Theatre, even the naysayers will have to admit it: Andrew Lloyd Webber is cool again.
Drew McOnie, who directs and choreographs the hell out of this production, is of course not single-handedly responsible for the shift in ALW’s fortunes. He is simply the latest in a line of respected directors who have looked again at the music man’s oeuvre and remounted it in fresh and often startling ways. Tim Sheader’s commanding, Sam Ryder-starring version of Jesus Christ Superstar is currently powering away at the London Palladium (Sheader’s version was first presented at the Open Air Theatre in 2016), whereas last summer at the Palladium saw Rachel Zegler starring in Evita for uber-cool director Jamie Lloyd. Lloyd was also behind the startling 2023 revival of Sunset Boulevard, featuring an ethereal, black-clad Nicole Scherzinger.
