At first glance, the stage was filled with a dimly-lit junk yard littered with rusty bedsteads and broken bottles.

Then, behind a twisted bicycle wheel, a ripped cereal box and an old pipe, there was the flick of a paw, the stretch of a leg and the twitch of a whisker.

Suddenly the stage was alive with bright eyes peering from the darkness, then cat after cat came leaping through the auditorium and on to the stage.

As they gathered for the Jellicle Ball, the cats introduced themselves – from cheeky acrobatic duo Mungojerrie and Rumpleteaser to mischievous moggie Macavity.

Highlights included magical Mistoffelees, a bewitching performance by Joseph Poulton, and macho Rum Tum Tugger, played by a pelvis-wiggling Oliver Savile, who got the female cats swooning.

And of course there was Grizabella the faded beauty – a heartbreaking performance by Alice Redmond as the shabby old cat shunned by the others and left alone with her memories. Because Memory is such a familiar song, it’s easy to lose sight of how moving it is, but seeing it performed in context highlighted the haunting lyrics.

With a striking set, a lively score and impressive choreography, this production retains the fresh appeal that won audiences over back in the day when we all wore the leg-warmers only the lithe young felines can get away with now.

Cats runs until May 4.