Jassa Ahluwalia and Sophie Melville in Herding Cats.
Jassa was among the first performers back on stage in May, starring in Herding Cats at Soho Theatre, following the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. Co-starring Greg Germann (Grey's Anatomy, Ally McBeal) and Evening Standard Theatre Award nominee Sophie Melville (Iphigenia in Splott), the play follows three people grappling with the modern world.
Directed by Anthony Banks (The Girl on the Train), the play pioneered a hybrid experience that saw Jassa and Sophie performing live in London, with Greg streamed in real-time from LA.
Playwright Lucinda Coxon (The Danish Girl) said, "Ten years on from the premiere of Herding Cats, I'm excited to share the story with audiences once again. It strikes me that the play's exploration of acute loneliness and of the striking inequality between genders and generations feels incredibly of the moment, particularly as I reflect on the events of the last year."
Jassa Ahluwalia and Greg Germann in Herding Cats.
The play was critically acclaimed, with 4 star reviews in The Guardian, The Stage and WhatsOnStage. All reviews are available here.
“Melville, since Iphigenia in Splott, is fast proving one of the best British actors of her generation. With a despairing smile, talking miles a minute, she plays twentysomething Justine...Ahluwalia is similarly impressive as flatmate Michael, still stunned by some unexplained incident, who won’t leave home and earns a living on a sex chatline.”
“Melville plays Justine with frenetic charisma, gradually unravelling as she recounts her office battles. Ahluwalia’s Michael, in his pink headset, suggests quiet hurt while playing the perfect foil to Justine.”
“The onstage chemistry between Ahluwalia and Melville develops over the course of the production...by the climax they really build a fluency together on Grace Smart’s marvellous set.”
Jassa Ahluwalia and Sophie Melville in Herding Cats.
Herding Cats was at Soho Theatre, 20 - 23 May 2021, and available on demand via streaming platform Stellar until 21 June.