Rumpus Cat

The Rumpus Cat is a featured character in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Cats. He appears only in "The Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles," a short play put on by the Jellicles to entertain Old Deuteronomy. Similar to Growltiger and Griddlebone, Rumpus Cat is not a "real character", not a member of the tribe at the present time, but a story being told by the Cats. Whether he was real, legendary or fictional is unclear.

In the London production Rumpus Cat was played by Alonzo originally and in the last year, and by George the rest of the time. In the Broadway production he was played by Plato. in the 1998 film Rumpus Cat was played by the otherwise-uncredited Frank Thompson.

Appearance
The Rumpus Cat is portrayed as a kind of superhero to the Jellicles; as such, his appearance is stylised, with a glowing red eye-mask as eyes, a thin tail and a sleek black coat. On his chest is a Superman-style "R" logo. In the Original London Production in 1981, Alonzo didn't wear a separate costume for Rumpus, only the logo was detachable. However as the show developed Alonzo soon established his own black and white costume, with the Rumpus Cat being a quick change.

Personality
As the Rumpuscat only appears in the context of Pekes and Pollicles, his only interactions are with Munkustrap, the narrator. He is somewhat a fool; he misses his cues, misunderstands commands, and only just avoids kicking Munkustrap. However the Pekes and Pollicles are suitably intimidated by his presence.

Relationships

 * Asparagus: Some fans believe he is his father.
 * Munkustrap: Some fans believe he is his younger brother.
 * Old Deuteronomy: Some fans believe he is his father.
 * Skimbleshanks: Some fans believe him to be his uncle
 * Exotica: Some fans believe them to be mates, or close friends