Why is 'Cats' closing in the West End?

[mrsdanvers]

So now Cats is to close - and Starlight Express closed a couple of weeks ago - on A Lloyd Webber's instructions. What's he up to?

[andy hughes]

I don't think he's 'up to' anything! The two shows are closing in response to standard market forces - both were, and are losing money. Andrew Lloyd Webber had been discussing closing 'Cats' for a year before the decision was announced. Events of September 11 have not helped, but the feeling is that everyone who wants to see these shows in London has done so, and they've reached the end of their natrual lives. Because both have run for so long, and closing announcements were made in close proximity, the media are speculating about the 'end of the musical' and 'death of West End theatre', but this is the way theatre has always worked - shows come, shows go. Sir Andrew may wish to take it easy, but he will doubtless return with something else in the near future.

[incitatus]

Is there any way we can prevent that?