Hundreds of children and teenagers from across Northern Ireland will take to the stage at The SSE Arena, Belfast this summer for a unique youth production of the iconic West End musical, CATS.
Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.
Perform Boot Camp has teamed up with SSE Airtricity to present the world-renowned, record-breaking show, having been granted special permission by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group.
The SSE Arena will be in its new theatre-style format, which will turn it into an intimate venue for an audience of 2,000. The youngsters will perform on the same stage that has hosted giants from the world of entertainment, including Beyoncé and One Direction.
The cast was chosen following extensive auditions and comprises over 150 young people aged between eight and 18.
Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.
The unique youth production is the brainchild of show director Peter Corry, who has a wealth of experience performing on the West End and throughout the world.
Corry explained how the show came about: “During a meeting with The SSE Arena earlier this year, it became obvious that between us, we could put together a summer project that would give young people in Northern Ireland a chance to achieve something special. Perform Boot Camp is all about offering young people the opportunity to enhance their performance skills while having an enjoyable and memorable experience at the same time.
“And what could be more memorable than being part of this world-famous musical in this incredible venue? With SSE Airtricity’s support we are planning on putting together a huge production that both cast and audience will remember for a long, long time.”
Speaking at the launch of the show, Leanne Sheill, Marketing Executive at SSE Airtricity, said: “SSE Airtricity is delighted to be supporting this exciting and inspiring production with Perform Boot Camp. We are very proud to be involved in this initiative, bringing local youngsters from across Northern Ireland together and providing them with a venue like The SSE Arena, Belfast, to showcase their talents.
Picture by Darren Kidd / Press Eye.
“I’m also delighted that SSE Airtricity’s very own award-winning company choir, the SSE Airs, will be opening the show. The choir is made up of a mix of voices from across the company, so hopefully they’ll have a little something for everyone in the audience!”
The youth production is one of the most ambitious versions of this critically-acclaimed show to ever be staged and demand for tickets is expected to be high.
The show will take place at The SSE Arena, Belfast on Saturday 6th August, with both a matinee and evening performance scheduled.
Tickets go on sale on Tuesday 17th May at 9am from The SSE Arena Box Office at all Ticketmaster outlets.
