PICK Me Up Theatre will be bringing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats to the Grand Opera House, York, in November in a production directed and choreographed by Ali Kirkham.

Based on T S Eliot's Old Possum’s Book Of Practical Cats, the musical tells the stories of the Jellicle Cats who come out to play on one special night of the year: the night of the Jellicle Ball. One by one, audiences meet a cast of fabulous felines such as Rum Tum Tugger, Macavity, Grizabella, Mr Mistoffelees, Old Deuteronemy and Skimbleshanks.

Cats is among the longest-running shows in both West End and Broadway history, the original production playing at the New London Theatre for 21 years.

Lloyd Webber's score includes the show-stopping Memory, a hit for Barbra Streisand, as well as Elaine Paige, who played Grizabella in the original West End show.

Pick Me Up's production will run from November 9 to 17 in an amateur production by arrangement with the Really Useful Group. The main audition for performers aged 14 upwards will take place at the John Cooper Studio at 41Monkgate, York, on March 18 from 10am to 6pm, complemented by secondary options on March 19 and 20 at 6pm to 9pm. Younger performers will be auditioned at a later date; watch this space for more details.

All prospective cast members are asked to complete an expression-of-interest form and bring it to the audition. Please email pickmeuptheatre@gmail.com to receive the audition material.

"Auditions on these dates will be initial company auditions," says Pick Me Up producer Robert Readman. "The audition will be in both movement/dance and singing, which you will be taught on the day, workshop style. If you're wanting to be in the show, you need to attend one of these audition dates and come dressed in dance/movement gear. Please also wear dance or jazz shoes or similar."

The principal male characters in Cats are: Old Deuteronomy; Gus/Growltiger; Rum Tum Tugger; Skimbleshanks; Rumpleteazer; Munkustrap; Mungojerrie and Bustopher Jones. The female roles are: Grizabella; Demeter; Jellylorum; Jemima; Jennyanydots; Bombalurina and Victoria/White Cat.