While Rumpelteazer is suggested to be a male cat in Eliot's original poem ("...they were plausible fellows..."), the character is portrayed as female in the musical. Vocally, Mungojerrie is meant to be played by a high
baritone and Rumpleteazer by a high
belter. Acrobatic skills are also required to portray the duo.
Musical number The duo's eponymous song "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" has been revised several times. In the original London production, the number was a singsong-style duet that was mainly composed in
time with a slower tempo and more
jazz-like sound. When
Cats opened on Broadway, the song was rewritten to be faster and more upbeat, alternating between
vaudeville-style verses (in time) and a "manic
patter" section (in time). The London version was later rewritten to incorporate some aspects of its Broadway counterpart. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer dance throughout their number and perform acrobatic feats, A new setting of the song "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" was also written for the original
Broadway production, in which the song was sung by
Mr. Mistoffelees, while the actors playing
Coricopat (Rene Clemente) and
Etcetera (
Christine Langner) danced the song as "dolls" made of junk, brought to life, and appearing out of the boot (trunk) of a car through the magic of Mr. Mistoffelees. In 1987, the Broadway production was re-worked and the song was given back to the characters of Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, then played by Ray Roderick (who had formerly been the character Carbucketty) and Christine Langner, whose role of Etcetera was replaced by Rumpleteazer.
Costumes Onstage, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are usually costumed as orange, black and brown calico or tabby cats. When they perform their song, they have additional costume pieces: a vest and stockings for Mungojerrie; a
garter belt, stockings and stolen jewellery for Rumpleteazer. and by Rene Clemente on
Broadway in 1982. On screen, Mungojerrie was portrayed by Drew Varley in the
1998 film adaptation, and by Danny Collins in the
2019 film adaptation.
Rumpleteazer Rumpleteazer was originated by
Bonnie Langford on the West End in 1981, and by Christine Langner on Broadway in 1982. On screen, the character was played by
Jo Gibb in the 1998 filmed version, and by Naoimh Morgan in the 2019 film adaptation. ==Cultural references==