Cat who got the cream Paul Farrell has swopped the classical world of Scottish Ballet for whiskers and a fluffy costume in to fulfil his dreams, he tells MARY BRENNAN for The Herald
SINCE 1981, when it first pounced on a susceptible public, the musical Cats has had nine lives at least. While different casts came and went across its 21-year run in London's West End, various other incarnations were touring worldwide with such record-breaking success that the cat's meow soon became synonymous with the ringing of cash registers in each of the 11 languages it played in. Even now, when the London show has closed, Cats lives on, touring theatres across the UK with Edinburgh's Playhouse next on the list.
For Paul Farrell, formerly of Scottish Ballet, the three-week stint there will mean catching up with friends and family - none of whom have seen him on stage in feline form. "My family were all set to come to Portsmouth for the show, but I didn't think it made sense," he says. "Edinburgh's not only closer, but I wanted to be really right in the part when they saw it."
click for more