Walking Cats | Camden People's Theatre

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© Zhaolin Zhou and Tingying

The wholesome feeling I have while walking home after Walking Cats at Camden People's Theatre is almost impossible to put down in words. As I walk home, I keep thinking about how, as a migrant, the show's themes of nostalgia and fitting in feel relevant and relatable; at the same time, it's a unique masterclass in storytelling that highlights the uniqueness of each individual experience, in all their singular beauty and vulnerability. 

Walking Cats is an intimate and endlessly ingenious exploration of two parts within the protagonist's soul, and the effort to make them coexist. On one side, we have Kilburn Cat, a grey and white cat who lives in North London, shops for groceries at the Sainsbury's down the road, and tries to get acquainted with its new home away from home; Dongfeng Cat, on the other hand, comes from a village in China, is colorful, and very in touch with its roots, strengthening that connection with food and memories from far away. 

The journey of acceptance that Kilburn Cat has to make in order to make space for Dongfeng Cat is no easy process; it means embracing the bittersweet homesickness that Dongfeng Cat brings, and learning to live with some truths that, though essential to its sense of self, are delicate, painful, and complex. Zhaolin Zhou guides us through the experience with exceptional softness; their smile is open and their eyes are full of emotion as they handle pieces of paper and figurines with unmatched care and attentiveness. Seeing someone being crafty on stage is endlessly fascinating; the act of gently manipulating material to tell a story is particularly right for this show as it organically integrates with its themes of porousness and openness in the face of adversity. 

Walking Cats is about learning to live with parts of ourselves we might never fully understand; it encourages us to stop looking for "The Answer" and take time to welcome the good and bad that life is offering to us right now. It strikes a powerful balance between fun and nostalgia, and makes you feel as if wrapped in an embrace that starts when you walk into the space and never really leaves you. It's one of the most extraordinary live art pieces I've seen in London to date because it's truly original in its radical, sheer softness; a diverse voice recounting a lived experience in a tranquil yet poignant hour of self-exploration. 

The night has left me with what made me fall in love with theatre from a very early age: the awareness of its transformative power. There's something incredible about entering a room and leaving changed, having had an experience that's inherently irreplaceable. Walking Cats made me experience a meaningful connection with another human being; getting immersed in someone else's world in such an intuitive manner is a rare gift.

© Greta Rilletti Zaltieri, 2022


Walking Cats is going to be a part of the 2023 Vault Festival! You can book your tickets here. 

Location: 58-60 Hampstead Rd, London NW1 2PY, UK

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