Cats May Return to West End Theaters

No, not the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical -- the furry four-legged animal. The Stage reported last week that British Actors' Equity agreed on a motion to lobby theaters to re-introduce cats, in the hope they will chase off any mice and rats currently inhabiting U.K. theaters.

According to The Stage, the motion is "part of the union’s ongoing bid to improve actors’ working conditions in the West End. The move follows complaints of rats, sewage and insufficient backstage facilities in a number of the capital’s ageing venues." Cats might only solve part of the problem, but supporters note that cats not only represent “an environmentally sound alternative to poison and traps, but [are] also good for morale."

The London Paper adds, "At one time, every venue in the UK had its own backstage puss. The tradition dates back centuries, to when ex-mariners took on backstage work and brought their ships' cats with them."

For a more detailed account of the issue, visit www.thestage.co.uk. Read the whole story to learn about famous theater cats in history, like Beerbohm (the only cat to receive an obituary in The Stage), Lilian (who used to sit in the third row of the stalls at the St George’s theatre in Islington), and more.

-- Daniel Lehman