"Цингалея: Музыкалық комедия Цейлон аралдарында"

The Cingalee or Sunny Ceylon is an Edwardian musical comedy in two acts by James T. Tanner, with music by Lionel Monckton, lyrics by Adrian Ross and Percy Greenbank, and additional material by Paul Rubens. The story is set in the Edwardian era in the then tranquil island of Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka) and follows the story of British colonial tea planters (one of the most popular songs in the score is called "Tea, tea, tea"). The piece opened at Daly's Theatre in London, managed by George Edwardes, on 5 March 1904 and ran until 11 March 1905 for a total of 365 performances. The musical had a short Broadway run, opening at Daly's Theatre in New York on 24 October 1904, and running for 33 performances. A production in Sydney, Australia, in May 1905 by J C Williamson's Royal Comic Opera Company, opened on 6 May, starring Margaret Thomas as Nanoya.

A tea plantation in Ceylon has been purchased by a young Englishman, Harry Vereker, who falls in love with Nanoya, one of his Cingalese workers, and proposes marriage. Unbeknownst to him, however, she was married at the age of four to the potentate of Boobhamba, a noble of Kandy; she is also the former owner of the plantation. To escape from this marriage to the hated despot, she has disguised herself. An unethical lawyer, Chambuddy Ram, had persuaded Harry to buy the plantation. Sir Peter Loftus, the High Commissioner of Ceylon, accuses Ram of hiding Nanoya and of stealing a famous black pearl belonging to Boobhamba, and he orders Ram to return both within 24 hours to avoid dire consequences. Ram had given the pearl to Lady Patricia Vane. Peggy Sabine, a governess, subsequently won the pearl from Patricia in London as a bridge stake. Harry has now purchased the pearl from Peggy as a gift for Nanoya, and Ram hands them both over to Sir Peter and Boobhamba. At his moonlit palace, Boobhamba identifies the members of his harem by dressing each wife in a different colour. Because he has a nearly complete ranbow of wifely colours, he has room for only one more wife. At a lucky moment, he finds one that he prefers to Nanoya, so she is freed from her obligation to fulfill her childhood marriage and can marry Harry.

Contemporary critics were overwhelmingly enamoured of the musical. "The Cingalee has all the elements that make for long runs. It is elaborately set and staged, charmingly dressed; the music is in Mr. Monckton's best vein, and the lyrics abound with graceful and well turned lines", said The Stage. The St James's Gazette noted that the first performance was "received with rapture on Saturday night by an enthusiastic audience and played with the most admirable vivacity and smoothness by a brilliant company". In Lionel Monckton's music, The Daily Telegraph saw "a distinct leaning towards the traditions of genuine comic opera, and in this connection it is pleasant to find that what may be called the Savoy manner has served its composer as a bright answer". The Standard agreed, judging that "on the whole, this will be set down as decidedly the best of [Monckton's] scores". The Globe agreed that four hours was "a little too much" but thought "the task of condensation will be easy". The Cingalee toured the British provinces but then was only remounted on small scales and only up to the pre war 1940's. The condescending racial nature of the musical's libretto would be unacceptable today, and so the work is unlikely to be revived.

The Cingalee Case – Fraser v. Edwardes [1905–10] Mac. C. C., 22–27 March 1905
Captain Frederick John Fraser of the Indian Army sued George Edwardes, as producer of The Cingalee, in 1905 in King's Bench before Mr Justice Darling. Fraser had written a comic opera called Hanjiahn, or The Lotus Girl. He took this to Edwardes, who agreed to produce the opera within three years or pay a penalty of £300. Edwardes suggested that Fraser work with James T. Tanner to develop the work. Eventually, Edwardes returned the manuscript to Fraser unproduced. Tanner went on to write, and Edwardes produced, The Cingalee. Fraser sued on the basis of breach of copyright (although the matter was recorded in case law as a breach of confidence), claiming that his scenario had been used without his consent. The defence countered that the libretti were not similar, that all plays hold points in common and that, if anything, both works used The Geisha as their model. The jury found that an unfair use had indeed been made of Fraser's piece by the appropriation therefrom of characters, plot and other ideas. They assessed the damages at £3,000 plus court costs. The case was noted in the press for the amount and quality of witty repartee among witnesses, counsel and Judge. Anderson had written a sympathetic letter in April 1904 to the plaintiff indicating that Fraser had been badly treated by Edwardes, but when called as a witness by the defence, Anderson testified in support of Edwardes. The plaintiff's counsel produced the forgotten letter in Anderson's handwriting and made the unfortunate witness read it to the court "causing some sensation". The jury, swayed by this evidence, were viewed as too generous in the damages awarded, and the defence appealed, primarily on that basis, with £2,000 being paid into court. An out of court settlement was reached for damages of this £2,000, plus costs, with all imputations by both sides being withdrawn, before the appeal could be argued.

The first modern recording of a group of numbers from The Cingalee, was made in 2003 by Theatre Bel Etage chorus and orchestra, conductor Mart Sander.