Life imitates art imitates Cats: The Musical. Emerging artist Frankie Thompson puts a Gen-Z twist on an unorthodox comedy that’s completely deranged and utterly hilarious. A lip-sync ballet that’s part workout video, part musical and part absolutely anything to do with tabbies. Her stage is set up like a gym, complete with treadmill, yoga mat (and litter box?). ‘I’m trying to figure out how to cope’, she says, before turning towards exercise to distract her from dark existential thoughts.

^{Pictures: Thomas Moen}

What ensues can only be described as an unhinged YouTube compilation come to life. An incredibly quick collection of cat videos and references features everything from audio clips of The Apprentice to interviews with a young Jacob Rees-Mogg(ie). Thompson flawlessly lip-syncs her spiky dialogue at record time, while impossibly noisy facial expressions have her audience in tears.

There are various moments in the show where the screen behind Thompson goes blank and silent, with this cat-enthusiast left alone with her thoughts. ‘It’s just me now’, she says as she shrinks into herself, before the reignition of the workout video/cat compilation electrocutes her back to life. Catts is a ridiculously funny comedy hour and a powerful comment on how we distract ourselves from our most hopeless thoughts.

Reviewed at Pleasance Courtyard as part of Edinburgh Fringe.