Dick Whittington and His Cat is a British
folk taleFolklore is the body of expressive culture, including stories, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which...
that has often been used as the basis for stage
pantomimePantomime is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in Great Britain, Canada, Jamaica, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is usually performed during the Christmas and New Year season.-History:A pantomimos in Greece was...
s and other adaptations. It tells of a poor boy in the 14th century who becomes a wealthy merchant and eventually the
Lord Mayor of LondonThe Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
because of the ratting abilities of his cat. The character of the boy is named after a real life person,
Richard WhittingtonSir Richard Whittington was a medieval merchant and politician, and the real-life inspiration for the pantomime character Dick Whittington. Sir Richard Whittington was Lord Mayor of London and a Member of Parliament...
, but there is no evidence that Whittington had a cat.
Richard WhittingtonSir Richard Whittington was a medieval merchant and politician, and the real-life inspiration for the pantomime character Dick Whittington. Sir Richard Whittington was Lord Mayor of London and a Member of Parliament...
, the son of Sir William Whittington of
GloucesterGloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, was a wealthy merchant and philanthropist in London, who served as
Lord MayorThe Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.* In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is a purely ceremonial post, see Mayors in the United Kingdom, list of cities in the United Kingdom, especially Lord Mayor of the City of London The Lord Mayor is the title...
of London at times between 1397 and 1420.
Dick Whittington and His Cat is a British
folk taleFolklore is the body of expressive culture, including stories, music, dance, legends, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, customs, and so forth within a particular population comprising the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which...
that has often been used as the basis for stage
pantomimePantomime is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in Great Britain, Canada, Jamaica, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is usually performed during the Christmas and New Year season.-History:A pantomimos in Greece was...
s and other adaptations. It tells of a poor boy in the 14th century who becomes a wealthy merchant and eventually the
Lord Mayor of LondonThe Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
because of the ratting abilities of his cat. The character of the boy is named after a real life person,
Richard WhittingtonSir Richard Whittington was a medieval merchant and politician, and the real-life inspiration for the pantomime character Dick Whittington. Sir Richard Whittington was Lord Mayor of London and a Member of Parliament...
, but there is no evidence that Whittington had a cat.
Background
Richard WhittingtonSir Richard Whittington was a medieval merchant and politician, and the real-life inspiration for the pantomime character Dick Whittington. Sir Richard Whittington was Lord Mayor of London and a Member of Parliament...
, the son of Sir William Whittington of
GloucesterGloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, was a wealthy merchant and philanthropist in London, who served as
Lord MayorThe Lord Mayor is the title of the Mayor of a major city, with special recognition.* In England, Wales and Northern Ireland it is a purely ceremonial post, see Mayors in the United Kingdom, list of cities in the United Kingdom, especially Lord Mayor of the City of London The Lord Mayor is the title...
of London at times between 1397 and 1420. The legend of
Dick Whittington and His Cat was first recorded in 1605 and was adapted as a play the same year,
The History of Richard Whittington, of his lowe byrth, his great fortune. The story was soon included in several collections, including the fairytale collections of
Joseph JacobsJoseph Jacobs was a literary and Jewish historian. He was a writer for the Jewish Encyclopaedia and a notable folklorist, creating several noteworthy collections of fairy tales.-Biography:...
.
Samuel PepysSamuel Pepys, FRS was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament, who is now most famous for his diary. Although Pepys had no maritime experience, he rose by patronage, hard work and his talent for administration, to be the Chief Secretary to the Admiralty under both King Charles II...
wrote in his diary in 1668, "To Southwark Fair, very dirty, and there saw the puppet show of Whittington, which was pretty to see". The artist
George CruikshankGeorge Cruikshank was a British caricaturist and book illustrator, praised as the "modern Hogarth" during his life. His book illustrations for Charles Dickens - who was his friend - and many other authors reached an international audience.-Early life: Cruikshank was born on 27 September 1792 in...
published an illustrated version of the story in about 1820.
The story is only loosely based on the life of Richard Whittingon. There is no historical evidence that Whittington ever had a cat. Possible sources of the cat in the legend were the type of boat that Whittington used for trading, known as a "cat", or the French word
achat, meaning a purchase. Alternatively, Whittington may have become associated with a Persian folktale about an orphan who gained a fortune through his cat. This attribution of the cat story may have originated from a fifteenth century Italian source, the
Novella della Gatte. Aware of this source,
William Gore OuseleySir William Gore Ouseley was a British diplomat who served in various roles in Washington, D.C., Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. His main achievement were negotiations concerning ownership of Britain's interests in what is now Honduras and Nicaragua.-Career:Ouseley was born in London to the...
, in the nineteenth century, traced the story back still further, to a Persian manuscript, which he summarised as follows:
In any case, when
Newgate PrisonNewgate Prison was a prison in London, at the corner of Newgate Street and Old Bailey just inside the City of London. It was originally located at the site of a gate in the Roman London Wall. The gate/prison was rebuilt in the 12th century, and demolished 1777...
was rebuilt according to the terms of Whittington's will, a cat was carved over one of the gates. Also, in 1572, a chariot with a carved cat was presented by Whittington's heirs to the merchant's guild. Today, on Highgate Hill in front of the
Whittington HospitalThe Whittington Hospital is a British hospital in Archway, Islington, London. It is named after Richard Whittington, and its logo incorporates Whittington's legendary cat....
, there is a statue in honour of Whittington's legendary cat on the site where, in the story, the Bow Bells call young Dick back to claim his fortune.
Synopsis
Dick Whittington was a poor orphan. Hearing of the great city of London, where the streets were said to be paved with gold, he set off to seek his fortune in the city. Once there, of course, Dick could not find any streets that were paved with gold. Hungry, cold and tired, he fell asleep in front of the great house of Mr. Fitzwarren, a rich merchant. The generous man took Dick into his house and employed him as a scullery boy. Unfortunately, Dick's little room was infested with rats. Dick earned a penny shining a gentleman's shoes, and with it he bought a cat, who drove off the rats.
One day, Mr. Fitzwarren asked his servants if they wished to send something in his ship, leaving on a journey to a far off port, to trade for gold. Reluctantly, Dick sent his cat.
Dick was happy living with Mr. Fitzwarren, except that Fitzwarren's cook was cruel to Dick, who eventually decided to run away. But before he could leave the city, he heard the Bow Bells ring out. They seemed to be saying, "Turn again Whittington, thrice Lord Mayor of London". Dick retraced his steps and found that Mr. Fitzwarren's ship had returned. His cat had been sold for a great fortune to the King of Barbary, whose palace was overrun with mice. Dick was a rich man. He joined Mr. Fitzwarren in his business and married his daughter Alice, and in time became the Lord Mayor of London three times, just as the bells had predicted.
Stage versions
The first recorded pantomime version of the story was in 1814, starring
Joseph GrimaldiJoseph Grimaldi , the most celebrated of English clowns. Grimaldi's performances made the Clown character the central character in British harlequinades.-Early and personal life:...
as Dame Cecily Suet, the Cook. The pantomime adds another element to the story, rats, and an arch villain, the Pantomime King (or sometimes Queen) Rat, as well as the usual pantomime fairy, the Fairy of the Bells. Other added characters are a captain and his mate and some incompetent pirates. In this version, Dick and his cat "Tommy" travel to Morocco, where the cat rids the country of rats. The Sultan rewards Dick with half of his wealth.
Sybil ArundaleSybil Arundale was a stage and film actress.In 1893 she appeared in music halls with her sister, Grace where they were billed as "The Sisters Arundale". She later appeared in films.-Selected Filmography:* Tom Jones 1917...
played Dick in many productions in the early years of the 20th century.
The pantomime version is still popular today. Notable pantomime productions included an 1877 version at the
Surrey TheatreThe Surrey Theatre began life in 1782 as the Royal Circus and Equestrian Philharmonic Academy, one of the many circuses that provided contemporary London entertainment of both horsemanship and drama...
described below, as well as the following:
- 1894 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
, with a libretto by Cecil RaleighCecil Raleigh was an English actor and playwright.He was the son of Dr. John Fothergill Rowlands, and took the stage name of Raleigh...
and Henry HamiltonHenry Hamilton was an English playwright, lyricist, and critic....
. The cast included Ada Blanche as Dick, Dan LenoDan Leno born George Wild Galvin was a Victorian English music hall comedian whose act typically revolved around cockney humour and dressing up as a pantomime dame.-Life and career:...
as Jack the idle apprentice, Herbert Campbell as Eliza the cook and Marie Montrose as Alice.
- 1908 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
, with a libretto by J. Hickory Wood and Arthur Collins and music composed and arranged by Arthur Collins. The cast included Queenie Leighton as Dick, Wilkie BardWilkie Bard was a popular vaudeville and music hall entertainer and recording artist at the beginning of the 20th century. He is best known for his songs "I Want to Sing in Opera" and "The Night Watchman." - Early life :Bard was born March 19, 1874 in Chorlton Cum Hardy, Lancashire...
as Jack Idle, Marie Wilson as Alice and George Ali as Mouser, the cat.
- 1909, starring Tom Foy, Lupino Lane
Henry William George Lupino or Lupino Lane was a British-born actor and theatre manager from the famous Lupino family...
and Eric CampbellEric Campbell may refer to:* Eric Campbell , silent film star* Eric Campbell , baseball player* The leader of the New Guard* Eric Campbell , Australian foreign correspondent* Eric Campbell Geddes, British Conservative politician...
at the Shakespeare Theatre, LiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
.
- 1910 at the King's Theatre Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London approximately 5 miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, with a libretto by Leslie Morton. The cast included Kathleen Gray as Dick, Adela Crispin as Alice, Jack Hurst as the cat, Percy Cahill as Jack, Robb WiltonRobb Wilton, born Robert Wilton Smith was an English comedian and comic actor who was famous for his filmed monologues in the 1930s and 1940s in which he played incompetent authority figures....
as Alderman Fitzwarren and Wee Georgie WoodGeorge Wood, better known as Wee Georgie Wood, was a British actor and comedian who appeared in films, plays and music hall revues. Wood, who was a midget, worked most his professional life in the guise of a child, appearing in comic and sentimental sketches. He also wrote a column in the weekly...
as Alice's brother.
- 1923 at the London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster.Ian Dury and Cass Elliot played their last shows at the Palladium.-Building:...
. The cast included Clarice MayneClarice Mayne was a music hall and variety theatre singer and performer.-Life and career:Mayne was born in London in 1886. She is best known for the song "A Broken Doll" written by her husband, the composer James W...
as Dick, Hilda Glyder as Alice, Fred Whittaker as the cat, and Nellie Wallace and Harry Weldon as the villains.
- 1931 at the Garrick Theatre
The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster. It opened on 24 April 1889 with The Profligate, a play by Arthur Wing Pinero. In its early years, it appears to have specialised in the performance of melodrama, and today the theatre is a...
. The cast included Dorothy DicksonDorothy Dickson , was an American born, London-based theater actress and singer.-Biography:Dickson is known mostly for her rendition of the Jerome Kern song "Look for the Silver Lining". She was also a member of the Ziegfeld Follies and made many appearances in New York and abroad...
as Dick, Jean Adrienne as Alice, Roy Barbour as Alderman Fitzwarren, Hal Bryan as Idle Jack, Harry Gilmore as the cat and Jack Morrison as Susan the cook.
- 1932 at the London Hippodrome. The cast included Fay Compton
Fay Compton was an English actress from a notable acting lineage; her father was actor/manager Edward Compton; her mother, Virginia Bateman, was a distinguished member of the profession, as were her sister, the actress Viola Compton, and her uncles and aunts...
as Dick, Audrey Pointing as Alice, Fred Wynne as Alderman Fitzwarren, Johnny Fuller as the cat, Leslie HensonLeslie Lincoln Henson was an English comedian, actor, film producer, theatre producer and director. Henson worked in silent films and Edwardian musical comedy and then became a popular music hall comedian who enjoyed a long stage career...
as Idle Jack.
- 1935 at the Lyceum Theatre.
- 2009/2010 at the Theatre Royal, Wakefield
The Theatre Royal Wakefield is a theatre in Wakefield, England, which dates back to 1894. The theatre was originally known as the Theatre Royal and Opera House....
.
Non-pantomime stage versions included versions by H. J. Byron in 1861,
Robert ReeceRobert Reece was a British comic playwright and librettist active in the Victorian era. He wrote many successful musical burlesques, comic operas, farces and adaptations from the French, including the English-language adaptation of the operetta Les cloches de Corneville, which became the...
in 1871 and one with music by
Jacques OffenbachJacques Offenbach was a German-born French composer and cellist of the Romantic era and one of the originators of the operetta form...
and English text by H. B. Farnie at the
Alhambra TheatreThe Alhambra was a popular theatre and music hall located on the east side of Leicester Square, in the West End of London. It was established in 1854 and demolished in 1936. Its name was adopted by many other British music hall theatres located elsewhere in the metropolis, in Bradford, in Hull and...
over Christmas 1874–75.
A number of television versions have been created, including a 2002 version written by
Simon NyeSimon Nye is an English comic television writer, best known for creating the hit sitcom Men Behaving Badly.-Career:Nye was educated at Bedford College, University of London, where he studied French and German...
and directed by
Geoff PosnerGeoffrey Posner is a British television producer and director. Posner has directed and produced some of Britain's most successful comedy shows since the early 1980s....
.
1877 pantomime
Dick Whittington and His Cat; Or, Harlequin Beau Bell, Gog and Magog, and the Rats of Rat Castle, by Frank Green, with music by Sidney Davis, was produced at the Surrey Theatre in London, 24 December 1877. It starred the comedian
Arthur WilliamsArthur Williams was an English actor, singer and playwright best remembered for his roles in comic operas, Edwardian musical comedies and musical burlesques.-Life and career:...
. Miss Topsy Venn was Dick, and Master David Abrahams was the cat. The
HarlequinadeHarlequinade is a type of theatrical performance piece, originally a slapstick adaptation of the Commedia dell'arte, which dates back to Italy in the 16th century...
featured Tom Lovell as Clown.
The Era reviewed the piece, writing, "it completely put in the shade everyone of its predecessors... it would be found well worthy the patronage of the crowds of sight-seers certain to patronise it.... It is all life, bustle, briskness, brightness, beauty. There are sweet sounds for your ears, pretty pictures for your eyes, and no end of comicality to make exactions upon your risible faculties."
External links