Jemima (cat)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jemima (also known as Sillabub)[1] is a principal character in the musical Cats, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on the poetry of T. S. Eliot. The youngest member of the Jellicle cats, she is idealistic and very accepting of others. She becomes the first cat to accept the outcast Grizabella back into the tribe.
The role was originated in the West End by Sarah Brightman in 1981, and on Broadway by Whitney Kershaw in 1982. Veerle Casteleyn played Jemima in the 1998 film adaptation with Helen Massey providing the character's singing voice.[2] Jonadette Carpio portrayed the role (as "Syllabub") in the 2019 film adaptation.
Appearance
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The youngest kitten of her tribe,[3] Jemima is jovial, idealistic and free of prejudices. She serves as a juxtaposition to the aged and downtrodden Grizabella. Unlike the other cats, the wide-eyed Jemima is receptive to Grizabella when they first meet. She is sympathetic to the older cat's plea for acceptance, and when Grizabella collapses while singing "Memory" towards the end of the musical, Jemima joins in briefly to encourage her to press on.[4]
While "Memory" is sung primarily by Grizabella, melodic preludes are performed twice in a higher D major key by Jemima. The first instance occurs at the beginning of the second act after "The Moments of Happiness", and the second instance occurs near the end of the second act right before Grizabella's final appearance.[4]
Vocally, Jemima is meant to have a pure and youthful-sounding soprano head voice.[5][6]
Jemima is a tiny kitten with a short wig and a spiked collar.[3] Her coat is a rich satin red with black, brown and white tinges and a white chest. Her gloves/leg warmers are black and white, and the actress portraying her often has large eyes to make the character seem more innocent. When the show was reworked in 2014, her wig colours were changed from red and black to a less blocky, scruffy brown.
