Skimbleshanks is a cat character in T. S. Eliot's book of poetry Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats.
The T. S Eliot poem begins as a parody of Rudyard Kipling's poem l'Envoi (also known as The Long Trail) from Barrack-Room Ballads and Other Verses. Compare the first few lines of Kipling's
- There's a whisper down the field where the year has shot her yield,
- And the ricks stand grey to the sun,
- Singing:--'Over then, come over, for the bee has quit the clover,
- And your English summer's done.'
- You have heard the beat of the off-shore wind,
- And the thresh of the deep-sea rain;
- You have heard the song--how long! how long?
- Pull out on the trail again!
with Eliot's
- There's a whisper down the line at 11.39
- When the Night Mail's ready to depart,
- Saying `Skimble where is Skimble has he gone to hunt the thimble?
- We must find him or the train can't start.'
- All the guards and all the porters and the stationmaster's daughters
- They are searching high and low,
- Saying `Skimble where is Skimble for unless he's very nimble
- Then the Night Mail just can't go.'
Skimbleshanks is described as living on the night mail train that travels on the British West Coast Main Line. In the musical Cats he is depicted as an orange tabby cat. He is a figure of great importance in the train's operation; it will not leave without him, and he frequently looks in on the passengers and crew to ensure that everything is running smoothly.
Skimbleshanks is seen on the stage throughout the musical without his railway outfit until his song. When it is time for his number, he wears a brown vest with a pocketwatch chain.
The role of Skimbleshanks was originated in London by Kenn Wells and on Broadway by Reed Jones. Geoffrey Garratt plays him in the 1998 video version of the musical. Felix Hess played the part in the Worldwide Tour from 2007-2008. In the worldwide tour at the moment he is played by Louie Napoleon.