Mungojerrie is a fictional character in T. S. Eliot

T. S. Eliot

Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...

's book, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats is a collection of whimsical poems by T. S. Eliot about feline psychology and sociology, published by Faber and Faber. It is the basis for the record-setting musical Cats....

which was adapted into the musical Cats

Cats (musical)

Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...

.

Characteristics

Mungojerrie and his partner in crime, Rumpelteazer, specialize in petty theft and mischief. In Eliot's original poem "Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer", they are depicted knocking over Ming vases and stealing items from their human family. Mungojerrie is also mentioned in the poem "Macavity, the Mystery Cat" as being rumoured to be one of Macavity's agents.

The Musical

Onstage, Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer are usually costumed as orange, black and brown calico cats. The relationship between Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer is a debate. Some fans believe they are just friends, mates or siblings and some fans believe they are mates and siblings.

Two distinct versions of the "Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer" music exist: the original London production's version has a slower tempo and more jazz-like sound, while the more common version is upbeat.

Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote a new setting of the song "Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer" for the original Broadway production, and the song was sung by Mr. Mistoffelees

Mr. Mistoffelees

Mr. Mistoffelees is a character in T. S. Eliot's poetry book Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and its stage adaptation, Andrew Lloyd Webber's popular musical Cats. He is an important primary character, and one of the most popular of the show...

, 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 trunk (boot) of the car set piece, by 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 Carbuckety) and Christine Langner, whose role of Etcetera was replaced by Rumpelteazer.

Players

Mungojerrie was portrayed by Drew Varley in the 1998 CATS Film, and John Thornton

John Thornton

John Jason Thornton is a former American football defensive tackle of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia.In addition to four years in Tennsseee, Thornton also played six seasons...

 in the original London cast, and is now played by Will Porter in the Worldwide Tour. In the original Broadway production he was played by Rene Clemente who was Coricopat as well as Mungojerrie.

Cultural references

• A cat in Dean Koontz
  Dean Koontz
  Dean Ray Koontz is a prolific American author best known for his novels which could be described broadly as suspense thrillers. He also frequently incorporates elements of horror, science fiction, mystery, and satire. A number of his books have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List, with...
  
  's Christopher Snow series is also named Mungojerrie.
• The skiffle
  Skiffle
  Skiffle is a type of popular music with jazz, blues, folk, roots and country influences, usually using homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a term in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century, it became popular again in the UK in the 1950s, where it was mainly...
  
   band, Mungo Jerry
  Mungo Jerry
  Mungo Jerry is an English rock group whose greatest success was in the early 1970s, though they have continued throughout the years with an ever-changing line-up, always fronted by Ray Dorset. They are remembered above all for their hit "In the Summertime". It remains their most successful and most...
  
  , most famous for their hit "In the Summertime," is named after this character.
• Richard Adams alludes to Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer in his 1977 novel The Plague Dogs
  The Plague Dogs
  The Plague Dogs is the third novel by Richard Adams, author of Watership Down, about two dogs who escape an animal testing facility and are subsequently pursued by both the government and the media...
  
  .
• The University of Kent has a college named after T.S Eliot
  Eliot College, Kent
  Eliot College is the oldest college of the University of Kent. It was established in 1965, the same year the university opened.-Namesake:The college is named after T. S. Eliot, the poet who died on January 4, 1965, the same day the university was formally established...
  
  . The college bar being called Mungo's.
• In the film Serenity, the character Mingo's full name is Mingojerry - as a mis-remembered Mungojerrie by his mother.

External links

• "It's That Horrible Cat: A Mungojerrie Tribute" [DEAD LINK]