History
& Story line
1.This is a little story to
help you realize this musical.
[ STORYLINE ]
2.Charactors
3.See the place which the
musical~CATS first played
[ New London
Theatre ]
4.Cats poem
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Storyline
The orchestra
plays the overture as the stage revolves and pairs of lights flash all around
the auditorium.
When
Cats Are Maddened By The Midnight Dance
It is
midnight and all is quiet. Suddenly a car is heard and a hissing feline is
caught in its headlights.
One by one
the Cats appear. At first they are wary of their human audience, but they soon
relax and sing about themselves, Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats.
As they reach
the end of the first song one of the cats spots a man who has not heard of a
Jellicle Cat. They are shocked and proceed to recite The Naming of Cats,
telling the audience that a Cat must have three different names; a sensible one
that the family use daily, a more particular name and a third name that keeps
the Cat in profound meditation and will never be confessed.
Victoria
performs a solo dance and Munkustrap, together with Mr. Mistoffelees, gives the Invitation
to the Jellicle Ball. They tell the audience that tonight is a special night
when all the Jellicles gather and the Jellicle leader, Old Deuteronomy, will
announce the Cat who will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be re-born.
Some of the
Cats step forward to audition for this privilege. Munkustrap, with some help
from Demeter, Bombalurina and Jellylorum, introduces The Old Gumbie Cat,
Jennyanydots. All day she, like all Gumbie Cats, sits and sits and sits and
sits, but at night she teaches the mice music, crocheting and tatting and runs a
troupe of boy-scout cockroaches, who perform their beetles' tattoo.
Just as the
song is finishing, another Cat makes a dramatic entrance. It is The Rum Tum
Tugger, a curious, rock-star Cat who never wants what he is given and only
likes what he finds for himself. All the female Cats adore him, especially
Bombalurina and the kittens, and the young male cats adore him as well.
Tugger is not
happy when he is interrupted by Grizabella, the Glamour Cat. She is
shunned by the tribe because she left them, years ago, to explore the world
beyond the city. Now she wants to rejoin her family. Some of the kittens try to
touch her, but are pulled away by the older Cats. Demeter sings of Grizabella's
past and the old Cat leaves.
The mood
changes as Bustopher Jones, the Cat about Town, appears. Jennyanydots,
Bombalurina and Jellylorum tell the audience that he is a twenty-five pounder
who spends his days dining in the clubs of London. He is the Cat they all greet
when he walks down the street wearing his trademark white spats.
Once again
the song is interrupted. This time a loud and sinister laugh is heard. Demeter
announces that it is Macavity and all the Cats scatter.
A loud giggle
and "Shh!" signal the entrance of Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer,
a playful, but troublesome, young duo whose greatest delight is destroying their
owners' house. They are chased out of the junkyard by the other Cats who are
annoyed at their prank, but, as usual, there's nothing at all to be done about
it.
The mood
changes again as music fills the air. Mistoffelees, Tantomile and Coricopat
sense that Old Deuteronomy is on his way to the Ball and Mistoffelees
goes to greet him. Meanwhile the other Cats spruce themselves up while
Munkustrap and Rum Tum Tugger sing about the Jellicle leader.
When he
arrives all the Cats gather round him, bowing and shaking his paw. Then
Munkustrap reminds the Cats of the Jellicle choice to be made just before dawn.
For Old Deuteronomy's entertainment the Cats perform a play, The Awefull
Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles, narrated by Munkustrap. The Cats
dress up as dogs and bark at each other until The Great Rumpus Cat appears and
frightens them away.
When the play
is over Old Deuteronomy gives a short speech to remind the Cats of their
mortality, but he too is interrupted by loud noises and lightning. This time it
really is Macavity and the Cats run and hide.
Old
Deuteronomy coaxes them back and they sing The Song of the Jellicles
before The Jellicle Ball takes place. In the middle of the Ball Victoria
and one of the male Cats perform a dance together and then settle down with the
other Cats for a short rest.
All of a
sudden Tantomile, Coricopat and Mistoffelees wake up. They sense that something
is not right. Mistoffelees spots Grizabella and she runs off as the Cats start
to dance again, faster this time and more energetic.
When the Ball
has ended the Cats gather round Old Deuteronomy, but Grizabella appears once
more. Some of the kittens try to touch her, but she is given the cold shoulder
by the other Cats. All except Old Deuteronomy leave and he watches her as she
dances a sad shadow of the Jellicle Ball. She sings her haunting song, Memory
and Old Deuteronomy is moved by it. He reaches out to touch her, then changes
his mind and she leaves again.
Why
Will The Summer Day Delay, When Will Time Flow Away
Slowly the
Cats return and Old Deuteronomy invites them to ponder The Moments of
Happiness. He sends his thoughts through the earth to Coricopat, Tantomile
and Jemima. They link hands and Jemima sings to the tune of Memory, later being
joined by the other Cats.
After this
the auditions continue as Jellylorum introduces Gus, the Theatre Cat,
whose name was quite famous in its time, but he now suffers from palsy and is so
poor he cannot afford a drink. He says, however, that he once played Growltiger
and could do it again.
He and
Jellylorum play Growltiger, a Bravo Cat, and Griddlebone, his lover, in Growltiger's
Last Stand. Some of the male Cats dress up as his pirates and the other Cats
play the Siamese who attack Growltiger's barge. Just before the Siamese attack
Growltiger and Griddlebone sing their last duet, In Quella Tepida Notte.
Then the Siamese, led by Ghengis, swarm aboard and Growltiger is forced to walk
the plank.
Gus is upset
by the realisation that his glory days are all but over and he leaves the
junkyard.
The Cats are
saddened by this, but Old Deuteronomy reminds them of Skimbleshanks, the
Railway Cat, who is a friendly uncle to all the Cats. He sings his song
about his job on the midnight mail and the Cats make a train out of the rubbish
in the junkyard.
Macavity
disturbs them again and this time he mesmerises the Cats, allowing his henchrats
to kidnap Old Deuteronomy.
Demeter and
Bombalurina sing a duet about Macavity, who is also called the Hidden Paw
for he's a master criminal who can defy the law and when you reach the scene of
crime Macavity's not there. The bad deeds committed by such Cats as Mungojerrie
and Griddlebone are all done for Macavity and so he is dubbed the Napoleon of
Crime.
The song
finishes and Old Deuteronomy appears, but Demeter senses that something is
wrong. She leaps onto his back and reveals Macavity!
He tries to
carry her off, but Alonzo rescues her. Munkustrap fights the wild, red Cat, but
he is injured and Alonzo takes over. Finally, with help from most of the other
Cats, Macavity is wounded and rigs an electrical explosion which shorts out the
lights and allows him to make his escape.
The Cats
still have to find Old Deuteronomy and Tugger suggests they ask the magical Mr.
Mistoffelees, the original conjuring Cat. He begins the song and then Mr.
Mistoffelees appears. He shows off his magic tricks before bringing Old
Deuteronomy back.
While the
Cats welcome him back, Jemima announces the dawn, singing to the tune of Memory
again, and Munkustrap announces that Old Deuteronomy will make the Jellicle
choice. All the Cats gather round their leader, hoping to be chosen, and are
annoyed by the arrival of Grizabella. The Cats stay in the junkyard this time,
but turn their backs on her.
Old
Deuteronomy invites her to sing and her song, Memory, endears the Cats to
her. They turn to face her one by one and just as she has given up hope and
collapsed to the ground, Jemima sings once more. Grizabella stands and continues
her song. If you touch me, she tells the Cats, you'll find out the meaning of
happiness.
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Characters
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Admetus (video) aka George
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Admetus
on the video is a young, quiet, grey cat. He is played by the same
actor as the one who plays the Great Rumpus Cat.
George
was a quiet, young, white and black cat has two distinctive patches over
his eyes, one brown and one black. He left the London show, where he
was played by the same actor as the one who played the Great Rumpus Cat,
on 21st October 2000. He is no longer there since the actor playing
him, Steven Wayne, had been with the cast since 1981 and had played George
for 13 years (that could also be why George was not on the video).
He did the mating dance with Victoria, played one of Growltiger's pirates
and was a good friend of Victor. He has also appeared in
international versions of the show.
In my
opinion (and one or two other people's) Admetus is the video version of
George since they look so alike (it's the eye-patches), both become the
Great Rumpus Cat and sing "Jellicle Cats develop slowly" with
Munkustrap and Admetus/Plato.
Admetus
was a character in Greek mythology and George means "farmer".
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Admetus aka Plato
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A
young, tall, white, black and red cat who is played by the same actor as
the one who plays Macavity. In the video, and sometimes in London, he does
the mating dance with Victoria. On the video he hangs out the other young
cats and kittens, and in London he is friends mainly with Victor, Jemima,
Etcetera and Alonzo.
In the
London show he is called Admetus.
On
Broadway, he was a brown and white cat with a brown patch over one eye
called Plato. He may have been Grizabella's son.
In the
original London production he was not present, but probably replaced one
of four nameless kittens.
Plato
means "broad shouldered" and was the name of a Greek
philosopher.
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Alonzo
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A white
and black cat who seems to be Munkustrap's second in command. He is
friends with Quaxo, Cassandra, Jemima and Admetus. He fights Macavity
after Munkustrap is wounded and often saves Demeter when she is almost
catnapped (depending on the production).
In
London he seems to be younger than on the video and he sometimes does the
"mating dance" with Victoria.
In the
Broadway show he was various shades of brown and becomes Demeter's mate
after fighting Macavity, which he did more than the London and Video
Alonzos.
In the
original London production and on Broadway he played one of Growltiger's
pirates, who was called Tumblebrutus in London.
Alonzo
means "noble and eager" as well as "fighter".
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Asparagus
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This
brown and black cat is now in the London show, where he is grey with a red
ruff round his neck, and is likely to be Gus' son and either Jellylorum's
brother or mate (or both). On the video he is played by the same actor as
the one who plays Firefrorefiddle.
Asparagus
is a plant with edible shoots.
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Bill Bailey aka Tumblebrutus
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A
white, black and brown kitten with a brown patch over his nose and right
eye. As his Broadway/video name suggests, he is always doing somersaults.
In the
original London production he was not present as an ordinary character,
but Tumblebrutus was one of Growltiger's pirates, played by the same actor
as the one who played Alonzo. Bill Bailey may have replaced on of the four
nameless kittens listed in the Original London Cast recording.
On
Broadway he did the mating dance with Victoria.
Bill
means "determined guardian" and Bailey means "bailiff,
steward".
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Bombalurina
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A sexy
red queen who loves to flirt, especially with The Rum Tum Tugger. She
sings Macavity with Demeter, but does not seem to be afraid of him
at all. In fact she seems to be attracted to him while singing, though not
when he is present. She is very protective of Demeter.
In the
US she was not related to Demeter, but she was Sillabub's mother.
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Bustopher Jones
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This
twenty-five pound black and white cat is a famous gourmet who spends all
his time dining in the clubs of St. James' Street. He carries a spoon and
wears white spats in the spring. The character is T.S.Eliot's parody of
himself and he is Mistoffelees' and Victoria's uncle.
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Carbucketty aka Pouncival
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One of
the youngest kittens of the tribe. On Broadway he started off as two
separate characters, but Carbucketty was booted out to make room for
Mungojerrie. As his Broadway/video name suggests, he cannot sit still. He
is friends with the other kittens such as Tumblebrutus and Jemima.
Carbucketty
in the London show is identical to Pouncival on the video.
Both
Carbucketty and Pouncival looked similar to the above picture in the
original Broadway show, but nearer the end of the run on Broadway
Pouncival was brown with an orange, fox-like face.
In the
original London production there were four nameless kittens, but
Carbucketty is listed separately, suggesting that he used to be an adult.
In the video he is attracted to Bombalurina, but there is no evidence of
it in the London show.
Carbuckety
(T.S.Eliot's spelling) is "a knock-about cat" and Pouncival is a
cross between the word "pounce" and the name "Percival",
the name of one of King Arthur's knights.
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Cassandra
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A
Burmese cat who moves very slowly and elegantly. She is sometimes seen
with Alonzo.
In the
London show she used to be burgundy instead of brown.
Cassandra
means "helper of men" and was a prophetess of ancient Greece who
prophesies were not believed.
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Coricopat
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A
silver, black and tan tom who is rarely seen without his twin, Tantomile.
They always move in sync and can sense things before they happen.
On
Broadway he and his sister were brown, not silver and black. In the
original Broadway production the actor playing Coricopat also played
Mungojerrie.
In the
London show the actor playing Coricopat also plays Ghengis.
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Demeter
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A
black, white and gold queen who always knows when Macavity is about and
promptly, and loudly, warns the rest of the tribe. She and Bombalurina
sing about the Hidden Paw and Demeter is very frightened by him, but still
seems to have some romantic feelings for him. She is the one who sees
through his disguise and is almost kidnapped by him. She is said to have
been raped by him in the past. She is Munkustrap's mate by the end of the
video and London show.
On
Broadway, however, she and Alonzo became mates.
Demeter
was the Greek goddess of harvest and fertility.
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Electra
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A
tortoiseshell kitten who is a big fan of The Rum Tum Tugger and is friends
with Etcetera. She is only in the video and London show. She was not
present in the original production, but probably replaced one of the four
nameless kittens.
Electra
means "shining and brilliant" and was Agamemnon's daughter in
Greek mythology.
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Etcetera
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Without
a doubt The Rum Tum Tugger's biggest fan. She is a playful white kitten
with black and brown stripes. On the video she and Electra are together a
lot, but in the London show she is also a good friend of Rumpelteazer and
seems to be Admetus' little sister. She was not present in the original
production and probably replaced one of the four nameless kittens.
In the
original Broadway production she was played by the same actress as the one
who played Rumpleteazer and was booted out of the show when Mungojerrie
and Rumpleteazer were made proper characters.
Etcetera
means "and so on", but don't tell her that.
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Exotica
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A
character created for Femi Taylor so the part of Tantomile (which she
played in the original London production) wouldn't be taken away from Kaye
Brown. When she can actually be seen, Exotica is usually a dark brown cat,
but during Skimbleshanks' song, and at other points throughout the video,
she is brown and cream.
Exotica
means "exotic".
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Genghis aka Gilbert
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The
leader of the Siamese who attack Growltiger's barge and force him to walk
the plank. He is played by the same actor as the one who plays
Coricopat in London, but on Broadway it was the actor playing Mungojerrie
who wielded the sword.
In the
original London production he was called Gilbert.
Gilbert
means "brilliant pledge" and "trustworthy".
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Griddlebone
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A
fluffy white cat who is Growltiger's weakness. The two lovers sing their
last duet, an Italian aria, which replaced "The Ballad of Billy McCaw",
before the Siamese attack Growltiger's barge. Jellylorum plays her, but
she may not be entirely fictional as she is said to work for Macavity.
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Grizabella
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A
Glamour Cat who left the tribe to explore the world beyond the city. She
has had a good life, but is now old and wants to return to the tribe. She
is shunned by her family and sings Memory, telling her story and
imploring the cats to touch her. When one of them finally does, they find
out the meaning of happiness and accept her back into the tribe. She is
then chosen to go to the Heaviside Layer.
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Growltiger
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A part
played by Gus in the play, Growltiger's Last Stand. He is a red,
black and white Bravo Cat who led his bargeful of pirates up and down the
Thames, terrorising the residents of London as he went. An army of Siamese
attacked his barge and he was forced to walk the plank. Since Griddlebone
may be real, he may have been too.
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Gus
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An old
Theatre Cat who has played every possible part, but now has palsy and is
very poor. He and Jellylorum sing of his glory days and he remembers when
he played Growltiger. He is upset when he realises that he is now too old
to act and he is not impressed by modern theatre.
Gus is
short for Asparagus.
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Jellylorum
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Said by
T.S.Eliot to be "...a Lilliecat whose one idea is to be Useful".
This white queen with black and brown stripes sings with Gus and plays
Griddlebone. She may be related to Gus.
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Jemima aka Sillabub
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One of
the youngest kittens of the tribe who sings to the tune of Memory
on many occasions, signalling her understanding of Grizabella. She is a
calico and a fan of Rum Tum Tugger.
Jemima
means "dove" and Sillabub is a cross between "silly"
and Beelzebub, one of the devil's many names. Spelt Syllabub it is also a
pudding made of milk or cream and curdled or whipped with wine.
On
Broadway she was the daughter of Munkustrap and Bombalurina.
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Jennyanydots
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An old
Gumbie cat who teaches the mice music, crocheting and tatting and runs a
troop of tap-dancing boy scout cockroaches. She is a no-nonsense, motherly
cat who has a soft spot for Bustopher Jones, but is also likely to be
Skimbleshanks' mate.
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Macavity
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A tall,
thin and scruffy red, white, gold and black lightening-striped cat who
breaks every law, even that of gravity. He disrupts the Ball, kidnaps Old
Deuteronomy and tries to do the same with Demeter. He is the Napoleon of
crime whose agents include Griddlebone, Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer (the
latter according to the Original London Cast recording). Macavity was
based on Moriarty, the villain in Sherlock Holmes. In my opinion his name
may also have been based on Machiavelli.
On
Broadway he was Old Deuteronomy's son and symbolised power.
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Mungojerrie
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A
black, white, ginger and gold striped kitten who, along with his partner
in crime, Rumpelteazer, is a fun-loving prankster. The pair of them break
everything in sight and steal their family's food along with anything else
they can get their paws on. He is said to be an agent of Macavity.
In the
original Broadway production he was played by the same actor as the one
who played Coricopat and was a puppet that was conjured up by Mistoffelees.
In the
original London production he and his sister were listed separately from
the four nameless kittens, so they may have been adults originally.
On
Broadway he was various shades of brown and orange.
Mungo
means "amiable" and is also the name of a rain god (perhaps in
Kenya?) and Jerrie means "mighty spearman".
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Munkustrap
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A large
silver tabby who is the storyteller of the show and the caretaker of the
kittens. He sings The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball, The Old
Gumbie Cat, Old Deuteronomy and The Awefull Battle of the
Pekes and the Pollicles. He is the next in line to be leader of the
tribe and is Old Deuteronomy's son, Tugger's half brother and symbolises
strength. He fights Macavity and by the end of the show is Demeter's mate.
He also plays one of Growltiger's pirates, who was originally called
Grumbuskin.
On
Broadway he was Sillabub's father.
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Old Deuteronomy
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The
leader of the tribe. This large grey and brown cat chooses which cat is
worthy of being sent to the Heaviside Layer each year and has had many
wives and his kittens include Munkustrap, The Rum Tum Tugger and, on
Broadway, Macavity.
Deuteronomy
is a book in the Bible.
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The Pirate Crew
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The
pirates are not called by name, but in the original London production two
of them were Grumbuskin, Growltiger's bucko mate, and Tumblebrutus, his
bosun, and were played by the same actors as the ones who played
Munkustrap and Alonzo. This was also true on Broadway and in both
productions Skimbleshanks and Mistoffelees have always played pirates, but
in London Alonzo no longer does. He was replaced by either Rum Tum Tugger
or Victor. Until recently George was also a pirate in London, but he has
now left the show.
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Quaxo aka Mr. Mistoffelees
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A small
black and white cat with a black bow-tie shaped marking on his neck. He is
known as Quaxo until he is called upon to use his magic and then he is the
magical Mr. Mistoffelees. He is Victoria's brother and Bustopher Jones'
nephew. He used to sing The Old Gumbie Cat and Old Deuteronomy,
but now he only sings The Invitation to the Jellicle Ball with
Munkustrap.
In the
London show he is friendlier with Bombalurina than he is on the video and
he plays one of Growltiger's pirates.
In the
original Broadway production he sang Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer,
who were a pair of puppets he had conjured up.
In some
productions, such as in Australia and Germany, Quaxo and Mistoffelees are
two separate Cats.
Mistoffelees
is derived from another name for the devil, Mephistopheles.
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Rumpelteazer
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A
white, black, ginger and gold kitten who makes up half of the naughtiest
team of cats in the show. She and her partner in crime, Mungojerrie, wreck
their family's house and steal anything they can, dinner included.
In the
London show she is also a good friend of Etcetera.
In the
original Broadway production she was played by the same actress that
played Etcetera and she was a puppet that was conjured up by Mistoffelees.
In the
original London production she and her brother were listed separately from
the four nameless kittens, so perhaps they used to be adults.
On
Broadway she was white with brown and black stripes, like Etcetera, and
had a similar personality. For example, she was the one who screamed at
Tugger.
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The Rum Tum Tugger
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The
sexiest cat in the tribe, and doesn't he know it? This rock-star cat, who
was apparently based on Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, knows how to
get the queens going; one swivel of the hips and they're at his feet. He
is a curious cat who never wants what he has and only likes what he finds
for himself. He is the son of Old Deuteronomy and symbolises a free
spirit. He also plays one of Growltiger's pirates, though he didn't
originally do so in London.
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The Great Rumpus Cat
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CATS'
answer to Superman! This black cat has glowing red eyes and he is so
powerful even dogs are afraid of him so he takes care of any Pollicle
trouble. He is played by the same actor who plays Admetus in the video,
the same actor as the one who plays Alonzo in London and the same actor as
the one who played Plato and Macavity on Broadway. In London, as on the
video, he is very silly (sometimes "forgetting" to switch his
eyes on before coming onstage), but on Broadway he was more frightening.
In the
London production he used to be played by the same actor as the one who
played George.
In the
original Australian production he was played by the same actor as the one
who played Alonzo.
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Skimbleshanks
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This
ginger tabby is a Railway Cat and, like Jennyanydots, doesn't stand for
any nonsense, especially from the kittens. He plays one of
Growltiger's pirates and is a valued member of staff aboard the trains, so
much so that they don't leave without him.
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Tantomile
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A
silver, black and tan queen who is always seen moving in synch with her
twin, Coricopat. She, like her brother, can sense things before they
happen.
On
Broadway she was brown instead of silver and black.
Tantomile
is, according to T.S.Eliot, a witch's cat.
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Victor
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A young
black and white cat with a face similar to Tugger's. He was a good friend
of George, but now has to make do with Admetus and Alonzo. He has
also appeared in international productions.
Victor
means "victor".
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Victoria
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A pure
white cat (with pale yellow cross-hatching if you look closely) who, most
believe, loses her innocence in the "mating" dance in the middle
of the Jellicle Ball. She did the mating dance with Plato on the video,
Tumblebrutus on Broadway and in the London show she used to do the dance
with Admetus, then George, or Quaxo if George is not there, now Alonzo,
and sometimes Admetus, is the lucky cat. When she's not deciding between
the toms, she hangs out with the female kittens and is the first to accept
and touch Grizabella.
Victoria
means "victorious".
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Chorus Cats/Swings
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These
are taken from a 1997 souvenir brochure. Until about 1997/8 there were 6
unnamed chorus cats in the show. That then changed so there were 8
swings who were only onstage if they were covering a named cat.
I've
heard that the reason the actors playing Grizabella, Old Deuteronomy and
The Rum Tum Tugger are there as ordinary-looking cats at the beginning is
so their real characters' grand entrances aren't ruined.
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The New London Theatre
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The
New London Theatre, as its name suggests, is the West End's newest theatre
although there has been a place of entertainment on the site since
Elizabethan times. During the reign of Charles II a tavern stood where the
theatre stands today. Neil Gwynn lived nearby and was known to be
associated with the tavern which, by the end of the 17th century, was
called the Great Mogul. In the early 18th century it was a meeting place
for glee clubs and 'sing-songs' were held in the adjoining hall.
In 1847
the Mogul Saloon was built which, over the next four years, was renamed
the Turkish Saloon, the Mogul Music Hall and finally, in 1851, the
Middlesex Music Hall. Reconstruction work took place in 1872 and 1892
before a completely new building was erected in 1911 and renamed the New
Middlesex Theatre of Varieties. In 1919 the theatre was renamed the Winter
Garden and, with the interior completely redecorated, reopened under the
management of George Grossmith and Edward Laurillard. In 1959 the theatre
was sold by the Rank Organisation to a property development company and
was demolished in 1965.
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As
a condition of the redevelopment scheme, the New London Theatre was built
as part of a complex incorporating a restaurant, shops, flats and a car
park. Given the opportunity of designing a 'theatre for the future' the
architects (Paul Tvrtkovic in association with Sean Kenny, Chew and
Percival) incorporated many revolutionary features, notably the stunning
60-foot-wide revolve which includes the stage, orchestra pit and part of
the seating.
The New
London Theatre opened on 2 January 1973 with Peter Ustinov's play The
Unknown Soldier and His Wife. This was followed by the London premiere
of the musical Grease starring Richard Gere. From 1977 to 1980 the
theatre was used as a television studio for a variety of shows including This
Is Your Life. The theatre is multi-purpose and has been used for a
conference centre.
On 11
May 1981 Cats opened and has since become the longest-running
British musical. In August 1991 the theatre was purchased by Andrew Lloyd
Webber's The Really Useful Group. Really Useful Theatres is a wholly owned
subsidiary of this group and now co-owns and manages thirteen theatres in
London's West End.
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Cat Morgan Introduces Himself
The only poem of Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
not used in the show.
Cat Morgan
I once was a
Pirate what sailed the 'igh seas-
But now I've retired as a
com-mission-aire:
And that's how you find me a-takin' my ease
And keepin' the door in a Bloomsbury
Square.
I'm partial
to partridges, likewise to grouse,
And I favour that Devonshire cream in a bowl;
But I'm allus content with a drink on the 'ouse
And a bit o' cold fish when I done me patrol.
I ain't got
much polish, me manners is gruff,
But I've got a good coat, and I keep meself smart;
And everyone says, and I guess that's enough;
"You can't but like Morgan, 'e's got a good 'art."
I got knocked
about on the Barbary Coast,
And me voice it ain't sich melliferous horgan;
But yet I can state, and I'm not one to boast,
That some of the gals is dead keen on old Morgan.
So if you 'ave
business with Faber-or Faber-
I'll give you this tip, and it's worth a lot more:
You'll save yourself time, and you'll spare yourself
labour
If jist you make friends with the Cat at the door.
MORGAN.
Rhapsody on a Windy Night
This was the poem that most inspired the lyrics of
"Memory".
Twelve
o'clock.
Along the reaches of the street
Held in a lunar synthesis,
Whispering lunar incantations
Dissolve the floors of memory
And all its clear relations,
Its divisions and precisions.
Every street lamp I pass
Beats like a fatalistic drum,
And through the spaces of the dark
Midnight shakes the memory
As a madman shakes a dead geranium.
Half-past one,
The street-lamp sputtered,
The street-lamp muttered,
The street-lamp said, "Regard that woman
Who hesitates toward you in the light of the door
Which opens on her like a grin.
You see the border of her dress
Is torn and stained with sand,
And you see the corner of her eye
Twists like a crooked pin."
The memory throws up high and dry
A crowd of twisted things;
A twisted branch upon the beach
Eaten smooth, and polished
As if the world gave up
The secret of its skeleton,
Stiff and white.
A broken spring in a factory yard,
Rust that clings to the form that the strength has left
Hard and curled and ready to snap.
Half-past two,
The street-lamp said,
"Remark the cat which flattens itself in the gutter,
Slips out its tongue
And devours a morsel of rancid butter."
So the hand of the child, automatic,
Slipped out and pocketed a toy that was running along the
quay.
I could see nothing behind that child's eye.
I have seen eyes in the street
Trying to peep through lighted shutters,
And a crab one afternoon in a pool,
An old crab with barnacles on his back,
Gripped the end of a stick which I held him.
Half-past three,
The lamp sputtered,
The lamp muttered in the dark.
The lamp hummed:
"Regard the moon,
La lune ne garde aucune rancune,
She winks a feeble eye,
She smiles into corners.
She smooths the hair of the grass.
The moon has lost her memory.
A washed-out smallpox cracks her face,
Her hand twists a paper rose,
That smells of dust and eau de Cologne,
She is alone
With all the old nocturnal smells
That cross and cross across her brain."
The reminiscence comes
Of sunless dry geraniums
And dust in crevices,
Smells of chestnuts in the streets,
And female smells in shuttered rooms,
And cigarettes in corridors
And cocktail smells in bars.
The lamp said,
"Four o'clock,
Here is the number on the door.
Memory!
You have the key,
The little lamp spreads a ring on the stair.
Mount,
The bed is open; the toothbrush hangs on the wall,
Put your shoes at the door, sleep, prepare for life."
The last twist of the knife.
top
of page
Section from The Dry Salvages II
Lines from this are used in "The Moments of
Happiness".
The moments
of happiness-not the sense of well-being,
Fruition, fulfilment, security or affection,
Or even a very good dinner, but the sudden illumination-
We had the experience but missed the meaning,
And approach to the meaning restores the experience
In a different form, beyond any meaning
We can assign to happiness. I have said before
That the past experience revived in the meaning
Is not the experience of one life only
But of many generations-not forgetting
Something that is probably quite ineffable.
top
of page
Lines to a Persian Cat
Lines 9-10 are used as the title of Act 2.
The songsters
of the air repair
To the green fields of Russell Square.
Beneath the trees there is no ease
For the dull brain, the sharp desires
And the quick eyes of Woolly Bear.
There is no relief but in grief.
O when will the creaking heart cease?
When will the broken chair give ease?
Why will the summer day delay?
When will Time flow away?
top
of page
Lines to a Yorkshire Terrier
Lines 10-13 are used in Old Deuteronomy's speech in
Act 1.
In a brown
field stood a tree
And the tree was crookt and dry.
In a black sky, from a green cloud
Natural forces shriek'd aloud,
Screamed, rattled, muttered endlessly.
Little dog was safe and warm
Under a cretonne eiderdown,
Yet the field was cracked and brown
And the tree was cramped and dry.
Pollicle dogs and cats all must
Jellicle cats and dogs all must
Like undertakers, come to dust.
Here a little dog I pause
Heaving up my prior paws,
Pause, and sleep endlessly.
top
of page
Section from the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
This isn't used in the show, but is mentioned in an
article often used in the souvenir brochures.
The yellow fog that rubs its back
upon the window-panes,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes,
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house and fell asleep.
top
of page
Lines for Cuscuscaraway and Mirza Murad Ali Beg
This isn't used in the show, but T.S.Eliot mentions
his dog and cat in a quotation in an article often used in the souvenir
brochures.
How
unpleasant to meet Mr. Eliot!
With his features of clerical cut,
And his bow so grim
And his mouth so prim
And his conversation, so nicely
Restricted to What Precisely
And If and Perhaps and But.
How unpleasant to meet Mr. Eliot!
With a bobtail cur
In a coat of fur
And a porpentine cat
And a wopsical hat :
How unpleasant to meet Mr. Eliot!
(Whether his mouth be open or shut).
top
of page
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
This was used as the basis for "Jellicle Songs
for Jellicle Cats". Andrew Lloyd Webber sings it on disc 5 of his Now
and Forever compilation and snippets of it can be heard on the Ultimate
Edition CATS DVD.
I was
lunching one day at the Princess Louise when I passed some remark to a man in
white spats
Who had ordered a plate of fried gammon and peas, so we soon fell to talking of
thises and thats
Such as Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
I have been,
he confided, a jack-of-all-trades, a true rolling stone that has gathered no
moss
I have seen much of life in its various shades and the fat and the lean and the
profit and loss
I have done everything and I've been everywhere, I'm at present an agent for
small, furnished flats
But the one thing that's made life worthwhile, I declare, is Pollicle Dogs and
Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Now my
sister, for instance, who lives in the hills that lie on the border of
Shropshire and Wales
In a comfortable house where her husband fulfils his vocation of retail purveyor
of ales
She says, and for me I've no reason to doubt her opinion repeated in dozens of
chats,
She says there is one thing she can't do without and that's Pollicle Dogs and
Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Uh-huh
And my
brother, for instance, who lives in the plains that lie on the border of Surrey
and Kent
In a house newly-built and with adequate drains, you would be quite surprised to
know how much he's spent
On that house, he has actually had to employ two men snaring rabbits and two
catching rats
He says there is nothing that he can enjoy like Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Now my
sister, of whom I have told you before, is musically gifted, can sing like a
bird
She can learn any tune and can read any score, she can sing any song that you
ever have heard
I have never known anyone who had such an ear and she never goes wrong on the
sharps or the flats
She says there are no voices so pleasant to hear as of Pollicle Dogs and
Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs
And my
brother, of whom you have just heard me speak, is a talented artist, I mean
amateur
He only has time at the end of the week, but his portraits have made a
considerable stir
He can draw like Italians or Frenchmen or Dutch, but prefers to draw people with
whiskers and hats
And he says there's no subject that suits him so much as Pollicle Dogs and
Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats
Pollicle Dogs
Well, I said,
very quickly, that's quite understood, so now let me order a small glass of Port
It will set your tongue wagging and do your heart good, any Port in a storm as a
final resort
Besides, there's a question I now wish to put, though I know what is what and I
know that is that
What you've said is exceedingly curious, but what's a Pollicle Dog and a
Jellicle Cat?
Well, at that he turned round with a look of surprise, as much as to say well,
now, how about that!
Do I actually see with my own very eyes a man who's not heard of a Jellicle Cat?
And a man who's not heard of a Pollicle Dog?
Can't know enough even to fall off a log
Well, he said, at the worst there is hope for you yet
It was exceedingly lucky for you that we met
If you do not object to my talking in verse? Not at all I replied, I enjoy
it of all things
It's a good way to put either large things or small things
There's nothing like poetry for real monologues
So with that he began about Pollicle Dogs.