Following a record-breaking summer season in London, CATS will embark on a major UK and Ireland tour, presented by Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals.
Acclaimed West End performer Alice Fearn, known for her roles in Come From Away and Wicked, will play Grizabella at 
Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday 1st to Saturday 5th June 2027. The tour is directed and choreographed by Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Artistic Director Drew McOnie and opens at Plymouth Theatre Royal in October 2026.
Alice Fearn's theatre credits include Kimberly Akimbo (Hampstead Theatre), Wicked (West End), Come From Away (Phoenix Theatre, London), Dear Evan Hansen (UK Tour), Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre, London), Shrek The Musical (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Into The Woods (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), Les Misérables (Queen's Theatre, London) and The Woman in White (Palace Theatre, London). Her television credits include EastEnders and Tonight's The Night, while her film work includes WICKED: Part One, Les Misérables, WICKED: For Good, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Mamma Mia! and Pirates of the Caribbean.
Alice Fearn says of joining the company of CATS: “Grizabella’ is one of those roles I had on my ‘dream’ list. The chance to be a part of this huge CATS legacy and get the opportunity to sing one of the most iconic scores ever written is something I will cherish forever.”
One of the musical's biggest highlights is, of course, ‘Memory’. The iconic song won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Song, Musically and Lyrically in 1982, while the original West End Grizabella, Elaine Paige, enjoyed a top 10 UK chart hit with the song. It has since been recorded by a host of well-known artists, including Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow.
Alice Fearn will play Grizabella at a number of venues throughout the tour, sharing the role with Louise Dearman (Wicked, Evita) and Rachael Wooding (CATS, We Will Rock You, Starlight Express).
She joins the previously announced UK and Ireland tour company, featuring a talented cast including Fin Adams as Alonzo, Kalisha Amaris as Old Deuteronomy, Diante Lodge as Macavity, Millie O'Connell as Demeter, Jaydon Vijn as Rum Tum Tugger, Jack Wilcox as Munkustrap and Jet Yau as Mr. Mistoffelees.
Based on T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, CATS features Andrew Lloyd Webber's legendary score, including favourites such as Old Deuteronomy, Macavity: The Mystery Cat, Jellicle Ball and the chart-topping Memory.
From Euston station to Victoria Grove, the strays and rebels of London gather under the Jellicle moon, each hoping to be chosen for a new life. And each of them asks, because each of them dares, who will it be?
Directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, this brand-new production promises to bring a fresh take to one of musical theatre's best-loved shows.
CATS originally premiered at the New London Theatre in 1981, where it ran for 21 years and almost 9,000 performances. The show has since been seen by more than 77 million people worldwide, performed in over 54 countries and translated into 23 languages.
With its unforgettable music, larger-than-life characters and spectacular staging, CATS is set to be a major highlight of the 2027 theatre calendar in Milton Keynes.
