Music Daf James

Book & Lyrics Michael Williams

Premiere 20 May 2017 Artscape Theatre

UK premiere 15 November 2017 Donald Gordon Theatre, WMC

Produced by Cape Town Opera and Wales Millennium Centre

‘A spectacular, big-budget musical with an epic sense of scale ... '

With kind permission from Cape Town Opera and The Wales Millennium Centre

Background

Tiger Bay, 1900’s

In the early 1900s, Tiger Bay was the engine of Cardiff’s fortune, a vibrant melting pot where the Welsh countryside met a global community. While the merchant elite conducted business at the grand Coal Exchange, ‘donkeymen’ labored nearby to export Welsh coal. As coal barons began to shun the area’s diversity, they conveniently forgot that this very labor built their empires. Despite being marginalized, Tiger Bay was a precursor to modern multicultural Britain, decades before the rest of the nation caught up. This collision of class, race, and the shared dream of prospering from King Coal is the heartbeat that inspired Tiger Bay the musical.

The Music

 

The score of Tiger Bay weaves Welsh choral music with global folk influences, all anchored by the emotional power of contemporary musical theatre. To represent the multicultural population of the docks, the orchestration incorporates polyrhythmic percussion and African vocal textures. The music moves between folk-driven ballads and large-scale ensemble numbers that use the full range of the orchestra. The score demands strong choral precision from the company and a brass-heavy orchestral sound to reflect the industrial environment of docks of Cardiff Bay.

Revised Version

Since the Cape Town Opera and Wales Millennium Centre productions of Tiger Bay: The Musical, Daf and I have revisited the work. We wanted to create a more compact version that could be mounted in smaller venues with less resources. We have trimmed the running time, and reduced the number of cast members. The reduced orchestration will be available for a 5-piece ensemble plus piano. This version is now called Tiger Bay.

Cast

Rowena (Soprano)

Klondike Ellie (Soprano)

Marisha & Piper (Mezzo)

Ianto (Girl soprano)

Marquess of Bute (Tenor)

Seamus O'Rourke  (Tenor)

Themba (High Baritone)

Ensemble: 8–10 Versatile ensemble with 'legit' musical theatre voices, taking on multiple roles

 

Orchestra

15 instruments

1,1,1,0

1,1,1,0

2 Perc

2Kbd

Gtr

Str 1,1,1,1,0

Ensemble

arranged for a 6-piece ensemble

Piano

solo piano

Duration

Act I 65 min

Act II 55 min 

Why buy a license for this show?

The Music of Daf James

The score anchors the drama in unforgettable melody. Critics have praised the Daf's ability to ‘move from foot-stomping maritime anthems to heartbreaking ballads’ with seamless grace. It provides a rare opportunity for singers to tackle a big musical theatre score that feels both classically epic and refreshingly modern.

The Revised Version includes all of the great numbers of the original. 

A Dynamic Company show

The production requires a high-energy ensemble and is a perfect vehicle for conservatoires or theatres looking to showcase a wide array of talent, providing plenty of featured roles for the entire company.

An Inspiring Family Show

The show has real grit, exploring the shadows of the Industrial Revolution through the eyes of immigrants, a street urchin, shopgirls, the donkeymen who work on the bay, and the people of Tiger Bay. It is an accessible family show, offering a roller coaster narrative that ultimately ends in triumph and hope.

An International Success

Jointly developed by Cape Town Opera and the Wales Millennium Centre, Tiger Bay arrived on the UK stage to nightly standing ovations. Reviewers hailed it as a 'gloriously rich, ambitious, and deeply moving production' driven by a powerhouse narrative. Featuring a sweeping score this musical delivers the spectacular 'wow factor' of a West End staple while offering producers a completely fresh, untold story of Cardiff Bay.

A Reflection of Modern Britain

Set in the multicultural melting pot of 1900s Cardiff, Tiger Bay offers a powerful, multi-racial narrative that mirrors the face of modern Britain. With a diverse cast of characters, from African immigrants and Maltese traders to local Welsh labourers, the show provides a platform for inclusive casting.

Synopsis

Act I: At the Brave Leak pub, newcomers are welcomed to Tiger Bay. Immigrant dock worker Themba struggles to meet his quota. Aided by Ianto, a street urchin who has stolen a Crystal Gazing Machine from the Marquess of Bute, Themba manages to do so. Amidst rising union tensions with the Donkeymen, the ‘Bayites’ unite.

At Morgan’s Department Store, shopgirl Rowena Pryddy accepts a marriage proposal from Harbour Master Seamus O’Rourke. His charm hides a darker side: he is conspiring with a medium, Madam Piper, to fleece the grieving Marquess. During a séance, Bute reveals he is searching for his long-lost son.

Ianto admits to Themba and Rowena that he stole the machine hoping to see his deceased mother. As union leader Arwyn Jenkins pushes the docks toward a violent strike, conflict erupts between the dock workers and the immigrant community. Ianto agrees to return the stolen machine; but O’Rourke sees a chance to exploit the orphan and presents him to the Marquess as his son.

Act II: As a strike paralyzes the docks, O’Rourke and Piper present a scrubbed-clean Ianto to the Marquess. The plan backfires when Ianto is moved by Bute’s grief and confesses that she is a girl named Efa, disguised to avoid the grim life many young women face in Tiger Bay. Meanwhile, a spark ignites between Themba and Rowena.

Efa leads the Marquess from his castle to confront the reality of his harbour just as O’Rourke’s deception unravels. The docks descend into a violent riot as striking Donkeymen clash with the Bayites. Amidst the chaos, Rowena discovers O’Rourke’s infidelity with Klondike Ellie and breaks her engagement, quitting her job to choose her own path.

The Marquess strips O’Rourke of his power and, inspired by Efa’s courage, brokers a historic peace. Recognizing that ‘little things matter,’ he guarantees fair wages and jobs for all. As Tiger Bay celebrates, Rowena and Themba find love, proving a revolution of the heart can change the laws of the land.