Raffish Crew

The Raffish Crew are Growltiger's Pirate crew. They appear in Gus' dream sequence, "Growltiger's Last Stand". This sequence was cut from the 1998 movie, and from the 2016 Broadway Revival.

The Crew
In the London production, the pirate crew consisted of Rum Tum Tugger, Skimbleshanks, Munkustrap, Mistoffelees, Victor, and George. However, this varies occasionally with Alonzo replacing Victor.

Other productions have five rather than six crew, made up of Munkustrap, Mistoffelees, Skimbleshanks, Tugger, and Alonzo. Despite Tumblebrutus being named as the Bo'sun in the poem, the role is played by Munkustrap and it seems the ensemble character Tumblebrutus has never been part of the crew.

Appearance
The original production gave the Raffish crew "Home Made" looking costumes, the patterns drawn on in the same manner as the basic costumes. This, combined with the loose shapes suggested a recycled costume, similar to the Beetles or Pollicle costumes used earlier in the show.

The Broadway production, with a much bigger budget than the London production, used more complex construction methods and fabrics like satin, resulting in more glamorous, less "Home Made" crew costumes, while still based on the original designs.

For the 2014 London Palladium revival, Growltiger and Crew were re-designed along with their scene being re-written. Rather than big, bright pantomime pirate Cats, they were given a monochrome palette of pre-made commercial costume pieces, evoking Dickensian Victorian London Dock workers. This gritty look is much more real-world, and less suggestive of a Music Hall performance.

Lyrics
Now on a peaceful summer night, all nature seemed at play, The tender moon was shining bright, the barge at Molesey lay. All in the balmy moonlight it lay rocking on the tide-- And Growltiger was disposed to show his sentimental side.

His bucko mate, GRUMBUSKIN, long since had disappeared, For to the Bell at Hampton he had gone to wet his beard; And his bosun, TUMBLEBRUTUS, he too had stol'n away- In the yard behind the Lion he was prowling for his prey.

In the forepeak of the vessel Growltiger sate alone, Concentrating his attention on the Lady GRIDDLEBONE. And his raffish crew were sleeping in their barrels and their bunks-- As the Siamese came creeping in their sampans and their junks...