Rumpleteazer

"Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer, we're a notorious couple of cats. As knock-about clowns, quick-change comedians, tight-rope walkers and acrobats."

- "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer"

Rumpleteazer is a featured character in the musical Cats. Mischievous and fun-loving, she is one half of a criminal duo alongside Mungojerrie.

Rumpleteazer originated in the London production and has been present in every production since. In the early years of the Broadway production however, she was presented as an in-universe fictional character rather than a member of the Jellicle tribe.

Etymology
The character first appeared in the T S Eliot poem titled "Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer", published in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939). She was originally implied to be a male cat ("we are plausible fellows"), though she has always been depicted as female in the musical and its adaptations. The spelling of her name has varied over the years. The original poem gave her name as "Rumpelteazer", while the 1998 film credits her as "Rumpleteazer". Both spellings are common in US and UK productions. The "Rumpleteaser" variation has also been used.

Personality
"Mischievous, Rambunctious, Ne'er-do-well"

- Three Words

She is shown as a young, high-energy, mischievous character. Many productions show her as a teenager or older kitten. Rumpleteazer sometimes joins the other kittens as they swoon over Rum Tum Tugger. She is rarely shown doing this in the film, but often in smaller productions she will take Etcetera's hysterical squealing role if there isn't an Etcetera in the production. It is suggested in the song lyrics that she lives with a reasonably wealthy family. Even though she gets into trouble no one (cats or humans) seem to hold a grudge against her. Rumpleteazer, along with Mungojerrie, are portrayed as making the transition from kittens towards adulthood, seeing how childish they can both be.

According to 1998 film actor Jo Gibb:

"'Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are the two naughtiest cats...We're always doing what we shouldn't, being where she shouldn't be, getting up to mischief, and creating a hassle for everyone else. But Rumpleteazer is lovable at the same time as being naughty and cheeky. She's always getting a clip around the ear from the older cats, but they like her.'"

Role
"Rumpleteazer is one half of a notorious double act. She is cheeky, irreverent, young and full of energy. An outstanding dancer with acrobatic skills, excellent singing voice with bags of personality. Playing age 20 - 25. Maximum height 5' 6"."

- Casting Calls

Rumpleteazer is a featured character in the show; she shares a song with Mungojerrie (aptly named "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer") as well as having a role in "The Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles".

History
The role of Rumpleteazer was originated in London by child star Bonnie Langford. In the initial Broadway transfer of the show, the role of Rumpleteazer was cut; instead, the song "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" was narrated by Mistoffelees and performed by Etcetera and Coricopat, dressed as "trash puppets", as entertainment for Bustopher Jones. This was revised in mid-1987 to the more typical running order of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer being characters in their own right. The role that had been Etcetera became Rumpleteazer permanently.

Appearance
Rumpleteazer is a striped tabby cat. Her costume generally features orange, yellow and black stripes on a white base. However in productions based on the Broadway version, she is a much paler cat, primarily white with light orange and grey stripes, due to her evolving from Etcetera.

Her featured song costume consists of stockings attached to a leotard in bright calico colours and a string of stolen Woolworth pearls worn around her neck. She sometimes wears a diamond collar or a belt.

In the original London production, Bonnie Langford wore her trademark bright ginger hair in high buns to suggest cat ears, as did several other female characters. Gradually this was replaced by wigs, but some productions held on to the bun styled ears rather than a standard "Cats" wig.

Trivia

 * While their relationship is never explicitly defined in the musical, the official website of the London revival/UK tour referred to Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer as "identical twins". In Broadway-based productions and the Japanese production however, the duo have very different colourings and are thus not depicted as being "identical".

Fandom
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