#juliann kuchoki

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And his footprints are not found in any files of Scotland Yard's...

Juliann Kuchoki as Demeter and Donna Hagan as Bombalurina; Hamburg production, 21/8/1999.

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Hamburg!Demeter's journey (1 / 4) - A stranger in the tribe

Jacob Brent talked once about the idea that Demeter was new to the tribe: that what we see in the musical is her first introduction to the Jellicles, on the night she flees from Macavity.

With all respect to his memory, I don't see 1998 Demeter as being new to the Jellicles. But there's one production where this does read as true to me, and that's Hamburg (1986–2001).

I have a little series of posts on this subject, because she has a heart-wrenching and beautiful arc; and, although these points hold true for every performance of Hamburg that I've seen, I'm focussing mostly on Juliann Kuchoki's performance in August 1999, since that video has the clearest footage.

(Look at this beautiful queen?!)

The first sign we have of her uncertainty and her skittishness—apart, of course, from her appearance in the car headlights at the start of the show—is just before 'the Naming of Cats'. After the final hiss of "what's a Jellicle Cat?" she breaks away from the centre of the group and dashes away to stage left (passing behind Plato, Cassandra and Bombalurina). She hovers anxiously on the side of the stage, not returning to the group until the very last moment before they start to chant - finally slotting into place beside Bombalurina, with Cassandra behind her and Rumpelteazer in front.

That, of course, could be just skittishness. But Demeter's unfamiliarity with the tribe is more clearly signalled in 'Gumbie Cat', when we're still learning to recognise the characters. She holds herself apart, and has to be persuaded to join Jellylorum and Bombalurina every time they start to sing together....

... and in fact Jellylorum deliberately reaches out to her and demonstrates how she can join in.

Even so, after each stanza she breaks away from them, returning to her uncertainty and discomfort.

In this way, she's still given those positive female relationships with Bomba, Jelly, and Jenny, but we see them in the process of being built - we see the women welcoming her into the tribe and teaching her their ways - rather than seeing the relationships as an established fact.

Next: learning to relax and have fun! Links under the cut.

1: A stranger in the tribe

2: Finding her place

3: Finding her voice

4: Reaching out

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Hamburg!Demeter’s journey (4/4) - Reaching out

Demeter, in the Hamburg production, seems to be new to the tribe, and takes some time to settle in and find her voice. But even by the end, she's still finding her courage: it takes her a great effort of will to do what she's been longing to do all night, and that is to reach out to Grizabella.

'Grizabella the Glamour Cat' is, of course, the first time we've heard Demeter really raise her own voice and articulate for herself. In 'Gumbie Cat' she follows the example of Bombalurina and Jellylorum. Here, she immediately wants to extend the same welcome to (or at least talk about) Grizabella.

She finds it difficult, and is startled (and grateful?) when Bombalurina joins in - though she also immediately defers to her.

When Grizabella enters at the end of Act I, Demeter tries to reach out, but flees before she can make contact. And it isn't time yet - not for her, not for Griz, and not for the tribe.

Gradually, over the course of the night, Demeter finds her footing within the tribe - for herself. But at the final moment, she can't bring herself to step forward and make that one contact she yearns for above all.

Jelly and Misto hand Grizabella over from the kittens to Bombalurina. By now we're used to Bombalurina being Demeter's voice, and so - though we see Plato and Cassandra there - we're immediately looking past them to the next two cats, Demeter and Alonzo.

But Demeter is hiding behind him... she can't quite pull herself into the front line, but she'll do it, any moment now...

... but she doesn't. She takes too long. We were waiting for that moment, but she missed her chance.

.... or did she?

Grizabella greets Skimble and Jenny, and is about to touch hands with Munkustrap before being passed on to Deuteronomy, when...

... she feels a touch on her back. And... it's the touch she's been waiting for all along.

Even Munkustrap waits, soft and patient, before reaching out a reverent paw to remind her of her ultimate destination.

... no, wait. let's see that again in the 1995 video.

Oh, Alonzo. This time we can see that he gently encourages her (literally, in the sense of 'increasing her courage') and then receives her back into a hug afterward.

What a good boy.

This is a deliberate directorial and acting choice. Demeter yearns to touch her but doesn't have the courage. She lets her go past, and just before that final moment where she's given over to Munkustrap's hands and the mysticism of the moment, Demeter manages to touch her, and make her turn back. Demeter is her final moment of contact with earthly love, and welcome, and forgiveness.

And by now, who would understand that better than Demeter?

1. A stranger in the tribe

2: Finding her place

3: Finding her voice

4: Reaching out

(munk be like time for your ritual sacrifice honey, let me present you to the dirty mop)

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Hamburg!Demeter's journey (3 / 4) - Finding her voice

Demeter, in the Hamburg production, seems to be new to the tribe and takes some time to relax. But long before she's comfortable with these cats and this place, she's forced into an inarticulate panic by the intrusion of - apparently - Macavity. And she has to try to communicate when she's least able to do so.

This is the first Macavity scare, so he isn't actually present. Nevertheless, Demeter - who has been sitting off to one side throughout Bustopher's song, thrown back into solitary gloom by thoughts of Grizabella - takes the scare very seriously.

She runs first to Munkustrap, trying to communicate with him. But, like in a nightmare, she can't speak: she can't make herself understood. She claws at his arm a couple of times, but he isn't even looking at her: he's focussed outward, looking for threats. Agitated, she runs to Bombalurina (lashing out at Cassandra when Cassandra reaches out to her), and almost drags Bomba back to make her explain to Munkustrap - but Bombalurina doesn't understand either.

Panicking, Demeter looks for help both to Bombalurina and Jellylorum, the only two cats with whom she has so far formed a connection. They can't help her - and finally she manages to blurt out, 'Macavity!'

Everybody takes that seriously, at least, and they dart offstage - although Munkustrap does share a look with Coricopat and Tantomile where the three of them seem to conclude that it's probably not Macavity, but still worth being wary...

But Demeter is still very used to being alone.

Bombalurina repeatedly steps up to be her strength, to reassure her or show her how to behave, or just to check in on her. But after the first stanza of the 'Macavity' song, she seems to have forgotten that she isn't all alone again.

And that's when Bombalurina, reliable and warm and strong as always, steps in to join her, and to bring her back to the present.

She confirms what Demeter says, she moves with her, but she keeps her grounded as well, until they're moving together to teach the kittens, and to affirm their own bond.

The culmination/confirmation of Demeter's acceptance into the community, of course, is the moment when she's finally proven right, and she has to apparently show aggression to their beloved leader and the kittens, and see whether they will take her word on it.

She's inarticulate again, charging in and scattering them almost fiercely with her paws, dragging Victoria away, lashing out at Mungojerrie. Then she darts to Munkustrap, who is reaching for her, bewildered - but not aggressive.

He trusts her. He knows something's wrong. So do Jelly and Jenny and Skimble over there on the right. So does Rumpelteazer - look at her, reaching out to haul Mungojerrie back by the tail when he tries to move forward again! And Pouncival at this point is just following Mungojerrie's lead, because he doesn't know what's going on.

When she actually leaps on Deuteronomy's back, the SkimbleJellyDots gang cringes back toward the bedframe/ladder, and the two queens lash out, but it seems more like agitation than aggression. Even Munkustrap (you can see his paw entering shot on the far left) isn't trying to stop her. Someone he just met today is attacking Deuteronomy and he isn't trying to stop her. That's huge. He knows. He doesn't know how or what, but he trusts something's wrong, and that Demeter understands it - even if he doesn't understand her.

She's one of his cats now, and that means everything.

And then, of course, we have the Macavity fight. Munkustrap gets thoroughly trounced - this Munk is a diplomat, not a fighter - and Alonzo saves the day. But both of them stepped up for her as much as for the tribe, and proved that she's important to them. And the queen who was flinching away from all toms at the start of the night, now seeks Alonzo out to nuzzle him like this.

But there's still one thing Demeter hasn't quite found the courage for...

(Links below the cut)

1. A stranger in the tribe

2: Finding her place

3: Finding her voice

4: Reaching out

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Demeter (Juliann Kuchoki) and Bombalurina (Donna Hagan) in ‘Grizabella the Glamour Cat’, Hamburg 1999.

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Munkustrap, I love you and I’m sorry. But here is a gifset of Matthew Pike’s Munkustrap getting thoroughly destroyed by Macavity (Hamburg 1999). (Though he did dodge a blow in the sixth gif! We’re very proud of him.)

And to add insult to literal injury: Demeter just walking right by him afterward to look for Alonzo.

Sean Mcgrath as Macavity, Juliann Kuchoki as Demeter, Stefano Bontempi as Alonzo.

(Meanwhile, Alonzo is completely in his element.)

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Juliann Kuchoki covering Demeter and Donna Hagan (dance captain) covering Bombalurina; Hamburg 1999.

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Alonzo and Demeter after the Macavity fight. (Stefano Bontempi and Juliann Kuchoki, Hamburg 1999).

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Mungojerrie and Rumpelteazer, just before the Macavity reveal. They’re cuddling ‘Deuteronomy’ with the other kittens before Demeter scatters them. Rumpelteazer immediately dashes away, but Mungojerrie stays close, even pawing/lashing out at Demeter - and she has to lash out at him again to get him to back away. (Pouncival is the kitten in front of Mungojerrie, and he doesn’t back off until Mungojerrie does.)

In the second gif, Pouncival clings close to Mungojerrie and follows his lead when he tries to edge forward again - but Rumpelteazer tries hard to pull Mungojerrie back, away from the danger.

In the third one, Mungojerrie flinches back when Demeter leaps on ‘Deuteronomy’, edging back a bit but keeping his head up and ready to spring, positioning himself between the danger and Rumpelteazer - and possibly protecting Pouncival as well.

And a few seconds later, after the reveal - he’s one of the first cats to attack Macavity. Even though he’s terrified. 

Hamburg 1999: Deon Ridley covering Mungojerrie, Adrianne Richards as Rumpelteazer, Sean Mcgrath as Macavity, Damian Kacperski covering Pouncival, Juliann Kuchoki covering Demeter.

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Allow me to present some cuddly cats waking up from sleep.

From front to back we have Mungojerrie, Rumpelteazer, Demeter, Bombalurina, Alonzo, Skimbleshanks, Tumblebrutus (with Victoria in the centre and Plato right behind her, just starting to stir at the end of the second gif). Alonzo has his arm over Bombalurina and his hand on Demeter’s shoulder.

In the first gif, Alonzo pats Demeter, rubs at his own eyes, then grabs for Skimbleshanks’ hand. Tumblebrutus sits up behind Skimbleshanks; then, in the second gif, he dashes off to snarl at Grizabella, while Alonzo sits up tall, looks to Skimbleshanks to check in, then repeats his snarl. Bombalurina is also on the alert, checking on Demeter as she wakes.

(Meanwhile, Plato’s nap got disturbed again. Let him sleep!)

Hamburg 1999.

Out of shot, the other cats in the circle are (continuing on from Plato): Jemima, Pouncival, Tantomile, Coricopat, Cassandra - and, of course, Mistoffelees at the front. Munkustrap, Tugger, and Deuteronomy are up on the tyre, and Gus and the two older ladies aren’t onstage.

Stefano Bontempi covering Alonzo, Donna Hagan covering Bombalurina, Juliann Kuchoki as Demeter, Deon Ridley covering Mungojerrie,  Sean McGrath as Plato/Macavity, Adrianne Richards as Rumpelteazer, Japheth Myers covering Skimbleshanks, Daymon Montaigne-Jones as Tumblebrutus, Rebecca Sutherland covering Victoria

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Tugger and Bombalurina trying to get Skimbleshanks’ attention, while Skimbleshanks wants to get Jelly’s - and Jelly is waving to Jenny on the other side of the stage! (Hamburg 1999) Follows immediately on from this gifset.

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Macavity fight, Hamburg 1999. Sean Mcgrath as Macavity, Matthew Pike as Munkustrap, Stefano Bontempi as Alonzo, Juliann Kuchoki as Demeter.

My gifsets from it here, here, and here.