CATS - London - Rehearsal Documentary (1981)

featuring Gillian Lynne and the Original London Cast of CATS
Omnibus, BBC, 1981

[@raoulfisher1867]

Just a reminder to everyone, Gillian Lynne has a memorial service and a foundation launch tomorrow evening at her namesake theatre. More info on LW Theatres.

[@chrissi2810]

I will be there and I am very excited about it!

[@lionblaze0384]

I could listen to her directing the actors and giving more character context all day. It's always eye opening.

[@lomion79]

Lovely glimpse into the original (and superior) production which we'll never see the likes of again.

[@ladyjennyanytime5195]

This lady changed so,so many peoples lives with her work and her artistry, including my own the re-naming of th New London theatre to The Gillian Lynne Theatre was a very appropriate tribute to her. I'm so glad she got to see it and be a part of the dedication ceremony. Thank God for Gillie i say, may she be dancing the Jellicle ball up there in the Heaviside layer with all the other dancing pussies that have passed over the years.

[@robertomurri1278]

Like Geraldine Gardner, but that's the only one I know of

[@ladyjennyanytime5195]

@Andrew Brooking sadly a lot more than just Geraldine, others not just from the london production but Broadway as well. Hiv/Aids wiped out a lot of those wonderful dancers as well as others involved with the show and our buisness in general in the 80s.

[@meganomahoney5450]

I’m playing Christine in the phantom of the opera concert at my new house on Thursday 31 of may

[@richardbarrett7236]

Anna Devane.

[@heathenhammer2344]

Such overhyped rubbish

[@TheWolfsHowl666]

May this Jellicle find peace in the Heaviside Layer ❤️

[@Potionette81]

Rest in peace, Ms Lynne. Thank you for the magical experience of seeing 'Cats' when I was 8 and being utterly blown away.

[@MomLAU]

I am loving this! The "Macavity" footage--both rehearsal and performance--is totally fascinating.

[@Hypnobunny1]

What a change from te early musical to the 1998 one that I know just so great. So very sad to learn this wonderful lady passed away 🥲🥲 what a talented lady 🙏

[@JulianaRumple]

i love this with all my heart. thanks for uploading.

[@porcupinesauce3872]

so much effort put into the very original totally creative and experiential version of it not knowing if it would flop or not. I really wish we will be able to see the whole version of it maybe hopefully higher video quality, just to see all the talents in it.

[@AnimatedSquirrel]

I'm watching this on April 11th, exactly one month before CATS first premiered, 39 years ago. :)

[@ilvabien]

This lady was true and genuine Artist. For me the core of this show since the firts time I could see it live in 1991 was the absolutely amazing choreography! Thank you Gillian Lynne, Now and Forever!!!

[@saul555-Dan]

Oh, to be able to go back in time and see the original cast perform this wonderful show! Thank you for uploading this video as this is about as close as it gets! 👍🏻 ❤

[@SaraAllen-ui5wz]

I would like this upload if i could....but I already liked it last time i watched. Leotards aside, it's absotirely magsplendificacious

[@kittiecandy747]

Rest in peace, an incredible human

[@serenechaosuk4682]

14:50 - rehearsal really strips down a mucisal/ballet to its raw substance !

[@ChuchinDancer]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🙌🏽

[@JulieAnderocci]

Teaching humanity be as graceful as cats😅😅😅

[@JulieAnderocci]

True inspirational teacher

[@JulieAnderocci]

She achieved the impossible

[@SaraAllen-ui5wz]

Thanyou for this upload. My daughter just began a musical theatre college course. Intense. We both love this

[@suddenwall]

Thank you for preserving and sharing this. ❤️ beyond words

[@rebeccanaylor1526]

Do Verlee Castelyn singing Moonlight as Jemima in London

[@serenechaosuk4682]

Aaah Little Veerle, she really was THE cutest, most angelic, most adorable girl ! Shame she is no longer in the public eye; apparently teaches dance in Antwerp/Belgium.

[@mildredhighcock7333]

thank you SO much for uploading this - just to think, someone somewhere holds the entire visual performance of this one and only cast - maybe it will see the light of day one day. This was thrilling. Loved seeing Bonnie Langford and Brian Blessed

[@chrissi2810]

I honestly don't think they had recorded the full thing back then. I guess they just filmed the scenes we can see in that clip, cause whenever there are clips of that cast in some documentary, it's always the same numbers we are seeing here. There's even certain actors missing in every scene, including Wayne Sleep and Elaine Paige who were both in the chorus for “Jellicle Songs“.

[@Taylor14Firefly]

@@chrissi2810 Hi! I'm doing research into Demeter and Bombalurina's character. Do you have more information on this documentary? Was it a TV special, for example? I can't find any reference online to a 1981 Cats documentary.

[@chrissi2810]

@@Taylor14Firefly This is from a series of theatre documentaries called “Omnibus“. It ran on BBC 1 between 1967 and 2003.

[@Taylor14Firefly]

@@chrissi2810 Thank you so much for this information! I wonder if there's a copy available at my library.

[@chrissi2810]

@@Taylor14Firefly I've been trying to find a better version for years and never had any success. There are some very short clips on the Ultimate Edition of the 1998 Cats DVD but it's really not much. Of course, the BBC has it in their archives but they never aired it again.