Jemima

"Like the sunflower, I yearn to turn my face to the dawn. I am waiting, for the day."

- Jemima in "Daylight"

Jemima is a supporting character in Cats. She first appeared in the Original London production. The youngest member of the tribe, Jemima is seen to represent the innocence, emotion and playfulness of Cats.

Her role was re-named Sillabub in the Original Broadway production so as to avoid negative racial connotations. "Sillabub" has since become the preferred name for the character in most North American and Asian/Australian productions. In these productions, the name "Jemima" may instead be given to a female ensemble dancer, if used at all.

Personality
"Innocent, Compassionate, Young"

- Three Words

Jemima is sweet, affectionate, innocent, intuitive, mystical, and possibly telepathic. She is typically the youngest kitten in the tribe and shows compassion for others around her. Jemima is very friendly and welcoming, as well as playful. She is known for her high, clear soprano. Jemima is also shown to demonstrate a deep sense of empathy and understanding, as she is selected by Old Deuteronomy to relay the message of Happiness halfway through the show.

She is attracted to the Rum Tum Tugger and is part of his fan club.

Role
"Very good dancer. Young looking and not taller than 5'4. Very good head voice, with clear and youthful tones. Confident to F."

- Casting Calls

Jemima participates in dances with the other cats but is often seen with the other kittens such as Victoria - especially when swooning over the Rum Tum Tugger.

During "Moments of Happiness", Old Deuteronomy channels his sage wisdom through Coricopat and Tantomile, to Jemima who sings a reprise of "Memory". She later sings another reprise of "Memory" known as "Daylight". She is one of the kittens who, in her innocence and with empathy, repeatedly reaches out to Grizabella - her attempts at contact being stopped by the older cats. When Grizabella makes her final entrance, Jemima and Old Deuteronomy are the only cats who do not turn away from her. Jemima later sings a duet with Grizabella in "Memory", encouraging the older cat to keep singing. In some productions, she is included in a magic trick during "Magical Mister Mistoffelees ".

Japan Production
The Japanese production of Cats includes both Jemima and Sillabub, with the role that is typically either Jemima or Sillabub given to Sillabub. This Jemima is not a kitten and is instead featured as one of the Gumbie Trio (with Jellylorum and Tantomile) and sings "Grizabella the Glamour Cat" with Jellylorum. The Japanese Jemima is clearly a Calico with black and orange patches on a white base, as a stylistic development from the original John Napier design.

Chorus / Swing Jemima
Some productions, notably Australian and Mexican based, include both Sillabub and Jemima. In these instances, it is Sillabub who is the soloist who sings in Memory, and Jemima is a less prominent ensemble dancer.

Whilst her appearance has changed over time, more recent productions have given her a consistent chorus appearance seeming to be a cross between the original Jemima "almost Jemima" kitten designs.

Appearance
Jemima has a reddish maroon/brown coat with a white chest and a spiked collar. Her markings do not strongly relate to any real cat markings, beyond having a white bib and dark body, but she could be viewed as a dark tabby or Tortie. Her wig is often styled into spunky red-black-and-white spikes. In recent productions, since the Palladium revamp, her wig is of a dull brown color and more wild. She is one for the few cats who wear gloves instead of arm warmers.

Since about 2000, the London/video costume designs have become more common in worldwide productions, however the characters have not been re-named to align with the designs. This has led to the reddish brown Jemima design being named Sillabub in more recent productions.

Behind the Scenes
Andrew Lloyd Webber has said that they originally wanted one actress who was both the beautiful solo dancer that is Victoria, and the sweet-voiced soprano that is Jemima. However when they couldn't cast a strong enough dancer with a strong enough voice, the concept of the female kitten was split into the two roles.

Jemima is often used to represent the playfulness and curiosity of the show. Victoria and Jemima are often paired together, both on-stage and at showcases, to represent the two sides of the show; Victoria standing for grace, beauty, and elegance, and Jemima standing for innocence, emotion and playfulness. She is featured in many advertisements for both the video and the show. Jemima sang at the 2014 CATS Press Launch at the London Palladium, singing her solo as the first act before the other Jellicles came in. Andrew Lloyd Webber's future ex-wife, Sarah Brightman, portrayed Jemima originally, and would go on to perform other soprano roles such as Christine in Phantom of the Opera.

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Fandom
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