Pussycat Lost is a shambolic musical adventure about those gone astray and hunting for love and a place to call home. 

Ranfurly is a cute kitten with itchy feet and a yearning for adventure, torn between his love for owner-companion Augusta, and his hunger for wider horizons.  When he takes the plunge into the great wide world he is catapulted into a series of unlikely adventures. 

Nathaniel Herz-Edinger’s script is written largely in verse, dense and rife with allusions (such as the Paradise Lost nod in the title), many of which drift past the audience without resonating or adding to the experience.  The peculiarity of the script has a certain charm, but at times the performers are bogged down in language and the story-telling becomes less than clear. 

The plot ranges from bewildering to out and out nutty, with a lot of the humour generated by wild swings of the story. The action is supported by live music performed by the cast (Jono Peters, Greta Evans and Liam Kelly – no programme so I don’t know who was who).  The musical numbers are excellent and really lift the energy.  The most successful moments are when story-telling and music are working together – Edmund’s song reflecting on his wicked deeds is a highlight. 

Director George Fenn has found comedy through some creative instances of theatricality – the rendering of the phases of the moon and blood both generate a laugh from the audience. 

This piece is imaginative and creatively ambitious. It needs to be tightened and polished in order to really fly.

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