Harlequin Floors are Feline Friendly on the Set of Cats

Advanced technology flooring company Harlequin Floors, specializing in flooring for dance, performing arts, entertainment, and events, has played a significant role on set for the recent production of the eagerly awaited film adaptation of Andrew-Lloyd Webber's stage show Cats.

Filmed at Warner Bros Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, and featuring a star-studded cast of international singers, dancers, and actors, the upcoming musical drama film is set to storm the box office when it is released on December 20th by Universal Pictures.

Based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot, the film is directed by
Tom Hooper, his second musical film following 2012's Les Misérables, choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler and has Steven Spielberg as executive producer.

Over 550 sq. m. of Harlequin Liberty panels were hired for the set giving the cast a safe sprung floor on which to practice their lifts and jumps. The sprung dance floor panels were then covered in Harlequin Reversible Pro performance vinyl which helps prevent injury from slips and falls. Ballet barres and 15 mirrors were also bought from Harlequin to complete the professional dance environment in which the cast could train.

Taylor Swift, James Corden, Jennifer Hudson, Idris Elba and Judi Dench join an exceptionally long line of A-list actors, whilst Francesca Hayward and Steve McRae, both principal dancers at the Royal Ballet, add their exceptional ballet skills in this film adaptation. The film combines a mixture of live-action and computer-generated movement to bring feline-human hybrids to the big screen. Oversized set pieces also help create the illusion of a cats' perspective.

Jamie Stirling, technical development manager at Harlequin, visited the set and oversaw the installation. He says, "Working on projects of this scale and prestige, which are often technically challenging, is a real privilege, especially one such as this that combines film and performing arts."