Growltiger

GrowltigerThe Terror of the Thames
Character
Alternate Versions	2019 Movie Growltiger
Markings	Tabby
Gender	Male
Age	Adult
Role	Singer (tenor)
Performers
Original London Cast	Stephen Tate
Original Broadway Cast	Stephen Hanan
1998 Film	-
2019 Film	Ray Winstone

Growltiger is a featured character in the musical Cats. He appears in "Growltiger's Last Stand". His musical number is a pastiche of Music Hall dramas, as Gus the Theatre Cat is reminiscing about one of his favourite roles performing an old-fashioned melodrama.

The 1998 film cut the scene that features Growltiger, and since the Broadway revival, the character has also been cut from all US and UK replica productions. However, the 2019 movie features Growltiger as a lackey working for Macavity.

Personality

“	From Gravesend up to Oxford he pursued his evil aims, rejoicing in his title of 'The Terror of the Thames'.	”
	— "Growltiger's Last Stand"

Growltiger was a "Bravo Cat who lived upon a barge", one who scoured the River Thames from Gravesend to Oxford, terrorizing the inhabitants along the river, including "cottagers", canaries, geese, hens, "pampered Pekinese", and the "bristly Bandicoot that lurks on foreign ships". Growltiger is usually envisioned as a pirate, although he is never explicitly described as such.

Growltiger is a caricature personality, highly passionate, swift to anger at the incompetence of his crew, desperately smitten by the beautiful Griddlebone, and terrified of the Siamese. He is a highly dramatic Operatic Tenor, battling with the Soprano (Griddlebone) for the spotlight.

Appearance

“	His manners and appearance did not calculate to please His coat was torn and seedy, he was baggy at the knees One ear was somewhat missing, no need to tell you why And he scowled upon a hostile world from one forbidding eye	”
	— "Growltiger's Last Stand"

Growltiger is portrayed as a shabby tabby with archetypal "Pirate" features. He has lost an eye and had a "somewhat missing" ear, he wears a bandana and he has the suggestion of tall boots. His costume is a patchwork of red, black and white stripes, with a trick eye patch (mesh in the middle to allow the actor some vision) which creates both his missing eye and ear, by the strap of the patch crushing one ear of his wig.

The London Palladium revival re-imagined Growltiger and his crew, rather than bright comic stage "pirate" costumes as suited to Gus's Music Hall performance context, they are instead dark, gritty Dickensian dock workers reflecting a far more realistic Victorian aesthetic.

Original 1981 Design

Broadway 1982 Design

2014 Revival Design

Gallery

Stephen Hanan, Broadway 1982

Jacek Rogowski, Hamburg 1991

Patrick Clancy, UK Tour 2007

Paul F Monaghan, London 2015

Toma Masaki, Japan 2018

Role

Casting Calls

Hamburg 1998	BUSTOPHER/ASPARAGUS/GROWLTIGER: Strong classically trained operatic high Baritone to B flat comfortably, capable of wide dramatic range of timbre, ability to play "old" an asset.
US tour 2011	Gus/Growltiger: Male, Character Singer/Actor, Tenor, strong legit or operatic voice to Bb. Craggy, cranky. Great storyteller – loves to reminisce about his days on the stage. Doubles as GROWLTIGER, his alter ego, a fearless, swashbuckling opera pirate. Must move well.
German Tour 2012	GUS/GROWL TIGER/BUSTOPHER JONES Tenor. Character role. Playing age: 30 – 45. Gus: an old and frail theatre cat. In his dream, Gus becomes Growlitger - a swashbuckling pirate. Range to B flat. Bustopher Jones: a distinguished, aristocratic tomcat. Good living has made him round and plump.
RCCL 2014	BUSTOPHER JONES/ GUS: Bustopher Jones is a sophisticated and upper class cat, respected by all. Gus is the theatre cat - a fragile old cat who in his dreams becomes a swashbuckling pirate, who fights to his death. A fantastic character actor/ singer with excellent comedic skills to play these two distinct roles. Strong high baritone/ tenor to G sharp and very good movement skills needed. Playing age 31 - 55.

Growltiger is a major singing role, requiring a strong operatic tenor voice. Within the story of the show, Growltiger is a role once played by Gus the Theatre Cat, and the audience are taken into Gus's memories as he reminisces about his time as a leading actor. We see the dramatic scene of "Growltiger's Last Stand", which describes how Growltiger meets his fate when he least expects it, while distracted by the beautiful Lady Griddlebone, his barge is over-run by Siamese pirates who force him to walk the plank. Gus appears onstage wrapped in a shabby blanket - this disguises his Growltiger costume underneath. In a blackout, he throws off the blanket and puts on an eye-patch to become Growltiger in seconds.

Etymology

Growltiger is said to be a "Bravo Cat" in his song. The term was made up by T S Eliot for a type of cat. In a letter to a friend, Eliot wrote:

“	So far in my experience there are cheifly [sic] 4 kinds of Cat the Old Gumbie Cat the Practical Cat the Porpentine Cat and the Big Bravo Cat; I suspect that yours is a Bravo Cat by the looks of things.	”
	— Eliot, 4 November 1934

Translations

The following names have also been used for the character of Growltiger in various international productions:

• Morrtiger - Stockholm 1987
• Brummetiger - Oslo 1985
• Murr-Roope - Helsinki 1986
• Snauwtijger - Amsterdam 1987
• Matamore - Paris 1989
• Tigruñon - Mexico Tour 1991
• Grumtiger - Copenhagen 2002
• Karmazyn - Warsaw 2004
• Megdöglesz (magyar)

Cast

Performers who have played Growltiger

Trivia

• Although Growltiger boasts about his "manly baritone" in "Growltiger's Last Stand", the role's vocal range (B3 to Bb5) is actually that of a tenor.
• Tony Timberlake had been cast to play Growltiger in the 1998 movie, however due to filming overruns the scene was cut from the final production.