There is one particular scene in the musical that touches the actress when Jemima — the youngest kitten, sweet and compassionate, sings alongside Grizabella in Memory.

"Jemima becomes the first cat to accept Grizabella and from that moment, Grizabella dares to hope," Barker says.

During the upcoming tour, a live band featuring eight musicians will perform live in the production. According to McCarthy, the musical originally had 18 musicians in the band but now, thanks to the technology, the current eight-piece band can produce sounds like an orchestra.

"Cats is probably one of the musicals today where nothing is pre-recorded. Many shows will have recorded vocals or recorded orchestras. It's amazing that, even though everyone is singing and dancing, it's all done live," McCarthy says.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn