Mitchell: Plays with Songs

Why Tyger Two?

Tyger – A Celebration of the Life and Work of William Blake was first presented by the National Theatre at the New Theatre, London, in 1971 with a cast of more than 30 and a full pit of jazz musicians chosen by the composer, Mike Westbrook.

It was a play with songs, rather than a musical. The attempt was and is to present the genius of Blake in a dramatic setting and to tell the story of this man who, working alongside his wife Kate, managed to live a good life in a corrupt society.

The show divided the critics into the extremely enthusiastic and the cynical – just as it does today.

Many things have changed since 1971, in the real world and in the show business. So when Paines Plough and the Salisbury Playhouse asked me to consider a new version of Tyger for 1994, there were several scenes I wanted to re-think completely. While William Blake seemed less out of date than he was before – he is still a thousand years ahead of his time – the enemies of art and of humanity have altered their actions.

About one-third of the dialogue is new, there are some new lyrics and new songs. Very few of the changes have to do with money and the fact that Tyger Two was planned for a cast of ten actors and three musicians.

Unfortunately lack of money forced Paines Plough to cancel the production. It was left to Nat Warren-White at Emerson College, Boston, to give Tyger Two its world premiere in October 1995.

Nat, a director, actor and artist of all trades, is a Blake-like creator. He inspired a company of 25 students into giving a beautiful production, with some of the most moving singing and vivid acting I can remember. The Music Director, Marshall Hughes, recognised and revealed the greatness of Mike Westbrook’s settings of Blake. My warmest thanks to Nat and Marshall and that fine company.

Ancestors of Tyger Two

The first Tyger – A Celebration of the Life and Work of William Blake, was commissioned by Kenneth Tynan for the National Theatre and produced by the National Theatre in its New Theatre season in the West End under the direction of Michael Blakemore and John Dexter on 20 July 1971. Gerald James and Jane Wenham played William and Kate Blake, and Denis Quilley was Scofield.

Glad Day, a TV celebration of William Blake on the 150th anniversary of his death based on Tyger was filmed in the autumn of 1977 by Thames Television. It was directed by John Michael Phillips. Jonathan Pryce and Zoe Wanamaker played William and Kate Blake, while Antony Sher was the Crab. Mike Westbrook’s band played in Tyger and Glad Day and later recorded songs from the show on the LP Bright As Fire.

My everlasting gratitude to all those involved in both those productions, but most of all to the late Ken Tynan, whose belief in Blake and Tyger and me was expressed in love and action.