Jo Gibb as Rumpleteazer
Rumpleteazer is the female half of a pair of notorious "cat-burglars," Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. Rumpleteazer wears a stolen string of pearls during the song "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer," and in the 1998 film she and Mungojerrie have strong Cockney accents, which serve their characters well and seem to have become part of their archetypal characters. Rumpleteazer usually plays the lead Peke in "The Aweful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles."
Rumpleteazer's name is spelled 'Rumpelteazer' in the original poem, but 'Rumpleteazer' in the lyrics and sheet music of the musical. Some people still spell her name Rumpelteazer, but the switch in spelling presumably occurred because Andrew Lloyd Webber wanted Rumpleteazer to be female in the musical, as opposed to the suggested male in the poem ("they were plausible fellows"), and the spelling "Rumpel," suggesting the name "Rumpelstiltskin," has a different feeling and connotations than the more feminine-sounding "Rumple," suggesting something that is tousled. However, some productions still spell her name 'Rumpelteazer' in the credits.
It is said, in the poem and song "Macavity: The Mystery Cat," that Macavity commands a gang of criminal cats including Griddlebone and Mungojerrie. In the original poem, Rumpleteazer is mentioned as well. However, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer do not side with Macavity during the cat fight, and in fact fight against him, leading to the theory that perhaps they had a past with Macavity but are now part of the Jellicle tribe and on the side of the junkyard cats.
The nature of the relationship between Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer is unknown, and seems to vary between productions. Due to the similarity of their markings, however, many believe them to be siblings or twins. Others believe that they are mates, and a few people even say that they are both. I believe that, along with Mistoffelees and Rum Tum Tugger, this is one of the most debated relationships in the Cats fandom.
Portrayal[]
Rumpleteazer is portrayed by Jo Gibb in the 1998 film.