Long time no see, funky peoples.


So CATS Tour V is in ol' Vancouver-town this week, and I dropped by the theatre yesterday and was able ask nicely for a programme to poke through in anticipation of the shows I & mine will soon be attending. I have read that Coricopat and Tantomile are back, but does anyone know what's going on with the casting situation? Rather than one like the other characters, there are four performers listed next to each in this programme, and in the cast bios each is listed as "swing" rather than by the named role...

There is also the usual "understudies" cluster of names at the bottom of the list, which again covers many of the same actors.

The impression that I get from reading some of the posted reviews is that the performers seem to rotate in to the role for each show, which seems... odd. Is there no primary characterization, then?

Or is this particular programme just addressing it oddly, and in other stops a primary actor has been listed?


Sounds like there's been a fair emount of shuffling in the presentation, I'm just curious for any further insight that might be available on this particular set up... Thanks!

Being as I haven't seen the program myself and I'm not from yonder northern continent I can't offer comment on any peculiarities there might be, but I can offer something on the swings and understudies.

A swing is there to make up numbers and to step in if someone is ill or injured. They're not the same as understudies because they're usually not meant to replace main characters (exception if one of them is listed as an understudy as well). They exist, as well as that vast list of understudies, because with a show like Cats (or any touring show) usually an understudy isn't just someone who hangs out in the back on the offchance that someone is going to be ill. They're often in the show, sometimes as a fairly important part themselves. So if, say, Bombalurina was ill and Rumpelteaser was her understudy, they'd then need someone else to fill in the role of Rumpleteaser - who might be Etcetera, and then a swing gets to wear Etcetera for a night*. <-- Example scenario only. I like to think they're more organised than that in professional casts.


*Or she ceases to exist and the majority of the audience don't notice.

The set is indeed a rotation - each show features one of the "swings" as Cori and Tantie. My guess is that the role allows the "swing set" (pun intended) to actively participate in shows. Not 100% on that...

Welcome back...

Rumblepurr