The stage is set with a treadmill, yoga mat, step-up box and a big silver exercise ball for Frankie Thompson’s Catts. A suitable assortment for a richly physical show. As Thompson enters, there are hints of the feline: a T-shirt adorned with threads of wool, a hair-do reminiscent of little cat ears. A spotlight flashes into life, before disappearing and emerging elsewhere, and Thompson begins an amusing chase – a cat trying to find a sliver of sunlight?
Thompson fiddles with a retro VCR and Jane Fonda’s Original Workout flickers on to a screen. “I’m trying to work out how to cope,” she tentatively tells the crowd.
Before she can get going, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats interrupts. With editing reminiscent of a family VHS that’s been taped over too many times, the show weaves together feline references from disparate origins – Postman Pat, The Aristocats, Don’t Tell the Bride, Antiques Roadshow.
Thompson flits between manic workout and controlled lip-syncing of the characters on our journey, her brilliantly expressive face bringing the audio to life. A haughty yet terrified Apprentice contestant desperately trying to flog a cat-themed calendar is a standout, her dance to the ominous theme tune bringing big laughs. Her interpretation of The Simpsons’ Crazy Cat Lady is a lovely, silly interlude, sending the audience ducking as cats fly around the room. Many in the audience are singled out for intense eye contact, Thompson holding gazes to the hilarious extreme.
Underneath the fun and silliness, we’re invited to think about stress, being overwhelmed and becoming comfortable inside your own head. Occasionally, the music stops and the lights come up. “It’s just me now,” Thompson says, suddenly uncertain. She artfully escalates her feline qualities, stalking the stage, even taking a very funny turn in a litter box. We peak with an operatic homage to cats.
Thompson is a magnetic performer, her clownish physicality a joy to watch. What is a “crazy cat lady”, anyway? Maybe we all need a cat of our own to help us feel a little bit less crazy.
At Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, until 28 August.
