The Chinese production of Cats was a slow tour around major cities. Starting in Shanghai in August 2012, then playing in Beijing in December 2012, the show continued to visit other cities throughout 2013. While the production was based on the Australasian tour and directed by Jo-Anne Robinson, the producers made efforts to make the show more relevant to their audience, with regional dialects in the translation and Asian influences in the costume and makeup. As with the Australasian productions, the show included all the swings as named on-stage characters.