On his maiden visit to India, British theatre personality Matt Krzan serves as the resident director of the international production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, Cats, which will be staged at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai.

“Cats is unique because it is a completely sung-through show and is so intertwined with dance. We are taking the audience to a different world where humans are cats prowling a junkyard. It is a magical show as it allows you to believe and be transported,” says Matt.

Cats, which premiered in London’s West End in 1981, is based on T.S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. First directed by Sir Trevor Nunn, the musical traces the tale of a tribe of cats called Jellicles.

Basically an actor, Matt has had a long association with Cats in multiple capacities. Though Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat was the first Lloyd Webber show that Matt saw live, he would watch Cats on video over and over again, till he saw a stage performance when he was 17.

Professionally, he was first involved with Cats in 2004. “I got the job while I was still in college. I was originally a swing, which means you cover numerous roles and go on stage when someone is injured or on holiday.  I then joined the cast again two years later and played Macavity, touring the UK and Italy. I went on to play Munkustrap at the London Palladium which was a dream come true. I got to work closely with Sir Trevor Nunn, the director, and Dame Gillian Lynne, the choreographer,” he says.

Subsequently, Matt took over as dance captain. “That means I had to maintain the standard and quality of the dance within the show. I toured the U.K. and other countries. A few years later, I joined the South Korea cast, simultaneously playing the role of Munkustrap and leading the show as resident director.”

Composed by Lloyd Webber, the production is renowned for its visionary stagecraft and groundbreaking artistry. John Napier’s oversized junkyard set transforms the stage into a fantastical playground, while Lynne’s choreography and Nunn’s direction create a richly-immersive theatrical world. The score includes the songs ‘Old Deuteronomy’, ‘Macavity: The Mystery Cat’, ‘The Jellicle Ball’ and the hugely popular ‘Memory’. At the Mumbai shows, Peter McCarthy will be the musical supervisor.

Matt says that the cast of the production was put together through an extensive audition process where they danced a section of the show first and then sang a song of their own choice. He adds, “Every character in the show has an identity of its own and our director, Chrissie Cartwright, has a talent for spotting the performer and casting them in the right role.”

This particular cast was assembled last October. “They performed in South Africa for over two months and had a short break. We will have rehearsals before we open back in Mumbai.”

Matt points out that since the musical is based on Eliot’s work, poetry is important to the show, as is the music. “We have extensive rehearsal sessions to learn the melodies and harmonies and specifically the pronunciation and diction, to make the words and poetry as clear as possible.”

This is the second Lloyd Webber production to be staged at NMACC. In March 2025, The Phantom of the Opera had a successful run. Matts feels Cats is a truly immersive theatrical experience created in a day when this was not a common experience. “The true meaning behind the show is a story of acceptance and forgiveness, something that is always relevant, even more so today than ever.”

Though Matt grew up on Hollywood’s musical films, he felt drawn to musical theatre because of the live element. “My earliest influences would have been Gene Kelly, films such as White Christmas and all the Disney musical films. When I realised that they were no longer as popular and not made any more, I felt musical theatre was the closest genre I could pursue. I went to a musical theatre school every week for most of my childhood and then to the London Studio Centre where I trained in dance, singing and acting every day for three years,” he shares.

Matt has also been involved with productions such as Matilda, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Chicago, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Wicked and Starlight Express. The role of resident director for Cats adds a fresh dimension to his work.

Cats will be staged at the Grand Theatre of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai, from June 17 to 28.