#tarquinn whitebooi

[junkyard-gifs]

Hi I was wondering whether we've ever gotten a black munk? (As in the actor is black, not a Munkustrap with a black costume)

I can't remember any first-cast Munkustrap who was Black off the top of my head - which doesn't mean there weren't any! (Both Munkustraps in the duration of the South African / World tour were white South Africans). But I know we've had some covers: Tarquinn Whitebooi in the 2014 Asia tour and Jordan Shaw in the London revival spring to mind!

And here's a list @uppastthejelliclemoon made a while back of Black and Asian actors for Munk and Tugger.

[uppastthejelliclemoon]

I wished that they cast a black or Asian actors to play munkustrap and rum Tum Tugger. Could that ever happen?

for anyone seeing this: this list is very long, so i'm apologizing in advance if i've missed any actors!! i've gone through the entire cats wiki for both characters and did my best to compile a thorough list, but ofc let me know if there's any mistakes!

Tugger:

Richard Lloyd King (1980s London)

Tee Jay (1980s London)

Yuichiro Yamaguchi (1980s Tokyo Tugger)

Mayo Kawasaki (1980s Tokyo)

Gregory McKinnon (1980s Vienna Tugger - Cover)

Takanori Shimomura (1995 Tokyo)

Eric Clausell (1993 Australia)

Masaru Yamaki (1999 Nagoya, Osaka 2001)

Tsutomu Arakawa (1995 Tokyo, 1999 Nagoya, Osaka 2001, Tokyo 2004, Yokohama 2009)

Kiyomichi Shiba (1995 Tokyo, 1999 Nagoya Osaka 2001, Tokyo 2004, Yokohama 2009, Fukuoka 2014)

Shoichi Fukui (Tokyo 2004, Yokohama 2009)

Shinya Tanabe (Tokyo 2004, Yokohama 2009, Sapporo 2015, Osaka 2016)

Kim Sungrak (Osaka 2001, Tokyo 2004)

Yoichiro Akutsu (Tokyo 2004, Yokohama 2009, Sendai 2013, Shizuoka 2013, Fukuoka 2013)

Toshihide Kaneda (Tokyo 2004)

Kan Muto (Tokyo 2004)

Masaru Kanamori (Yokohama 2009)

Li Tao (Yokohama 2009, Hiroshima 2012, Sapporo 2015)

Tatsuro Iida (Yokohama 2009, Hiroshima 2012, Sendai 2013, Sapporo 2015)

Gino Emnes (Dutch Tour 2006)

Stanley Burleson (Dutch Tour 2006)

Daesung (South Korea 2008/2011)

Kim Jin-woo (South Korea 2008/2011)

Ra Jun (South Korea 2008/2011)

E Nok (South Korea 2008/2011)

Jung Min (South Korea 2008/2011)

Earl Gregory (South Africa 2009, Asia Tour 2014)

Antoine Murray-Straughan (London 2014)

Marcquelle Ward (London 2015, UK Tour 2016)

Jordan Shaw (London 2014)

Ahmad Simmons (Broadway 2016)

Retsu Kanehisa (Shizuoka 2013, Fukuoka 2014)

Takumi Omine (Sapporo 2015, Osaka 2016, Tokyo 2018)

Kenji Nishio (Osaka 2016)

Kazuya Kamikawa (Osaka 2016, Tokyo 2018, Fukuoka 2021)

Mizuki Omori (Tokyo 2018, Fukuoka 2021, Nagoya 2022)

Jin Sakuma (Tokyo 2018, Fukuoka 2021)

Togo Kaminaga (Tokyo 2018, Fukuoka 2021)

Liu Lingfei (China 2012)

DevinRe Lewis Adams (RCCL Cast 12)

Jason Derulo (2019 Movie)

Todrick Hall (US Regional - La Mirada Theatre 2014)

Munkustrap:

Shintaro Sonooka (Tokyo 1983)

Kenkichi Hamahata (Tokyo 1983)

Osami Iino (Tokyo 1995)

Shoichi Fukui (Nagoya 1999, Osaka 2001, Tokyo 2004, Yokohama 2009)

Kiyomichi Shiba (Nagoya 1999, Osaka 2001, Tokyo 2004, Yokohama 2009)

Yuji Aoyama (Nagoya 1999, Tokyo 2004)

Masuo Nonaka (Osaka 2001, Tokyo 2004)

Takashi Saimon (Tokyo 2004)

Yuichi Tamura (Tokyo 2004)

Tsutomu Arakawa (Tokyo 2004)

Shouma Kanzaki (Tokyo 2004)

Kan Muto (Yokohama 2009)

Takamasa Hagiwara (Yokohama 2009, Hiroshima 2012, Sendai 2013, Shizuoka 2013, Sapporo 2015, Osaka 2016)

Hong Gyeong-su (South Korea 2008/2011)

Jordan Shaw (London Revival - Munkustrap Cover)

Yuki Matsushima (Hiroshima 2012, Fukuoka 2014)

Susumu Kato (Fukuoka 2014, Sapporo 2015, Osaka 2016, Tokyo 2018, Nagoya 2022)

Kei Tokuyama (Sapporo 2015, Osaka 2016, Tokyo 2018)

Kenji Nishio (Osaka 2016)

Masaru Kitamura (Tokyo 2018)

Taijun Kanemoto (Tokyo 2018, Fukuoka 2021)

Shinya Iwasaki (Tokyo 2021)

Junpei Wakebe (Tokyo 2021, Nagoya 2022)

Tarquinn Whitebooi (Asia Tour 2014 - Munkustrap Cover)

Xia Zhenkai (China 2012)

Mao Haifei (China 2012 - Munkustrap Cover)

[jellicle-home-for-jellicle-ships]

Tarquinn Whitebooi as Quaxo and Ai Yuhan as Bombalurina, 2014 Asia tour.

[junkyard-gifs]

Cassandra says 'this lap is now my property, we are accepting our tribute of petting'.

Cassandra says WAIT WTF HOW DARE YOU SULLY MY FUR WITH YOUR HUMAN HANDS

and let that be a lesson to you.

(The people editing the video say 'if you watch closely you can pinpoint the exact moment he falls in love'.)

Emily Keane as Sassy Cassy, 2014 Asia tour. The other cats you can see in the background are: swing Quaxo (Tarquinn Whitebooi) leaping across the seats in the first gif, away from Bombalurina (Emma Lee Clark); in the second, Rumpelteazer (Dominique Hamilton?) crawling along the aisle with something in her mouth, and Alonzo (Luke Jackson?) standing up in front of her.

Bonus, being 'interviewed' by Sam Hooper, who plays Tumblebrutus:

(Sources X, X)

[junkyard-gifs]

Marise Dusheiko (aka Marise Mishan) played Victoria in the 2009 South Africa production (above). Six years later, she returned to the role for three weeks only to join the Asia tour for their stop in Macau, in March 2015 (below).

With Genna Galloway as Demeter and Tarquinn Whitebooi as Quaxo.

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Skimblesalute!

... oh no! Skimblespots a Shenanigan. Mungojerrie and Tumblebrutus are playing with a ball, smh. Skimblescolds!

Tumblebrutus, chastened, retreats to one side. But you can't expect Mungojerrie not to retaliate - or Rumpelteazer to join in! Mungojerrie sneakily bops the ball out of Skimble's grip, while Rumpelteazer tries to distract him by catching at his tail.

Quaxo and the humans join the scolding. Jerrie doesn't get the ball but he doesn't care, he was just making a point.

Jarryd Nurden as Skimbleshanks, Tarquinn Whitebooi as Quaxo; and, probably Dominique Hamilton and Brent Osborne as the chaos duo, and Sam Hooper as Tumblebrutus. Asia tour 2014 (X).

(Bonus - that last interaction in wider view so you can see Tumble sulking on the side.)

This is a press call, hence the humans onstage. The woman is speaking English and the man translating: "... as you can see, they're a little bit cheeky sometimes. So if you come and see Cats, you need to hold on to your belongings."

[junkyard-gifs]

Skimble and Rumpelteazer in the audience. Skimble has decided that somebody's hair needs tidying.

Plus bonus Quaxo! (He's the one clambering over the seats in the third gif.)

(Tarquinn does the best adorably gay faces, seriously.)

Jarryd Nurden as Skimbleshanks, Tarquinn Whitebooi as Quaxo, and (probably) Dominique Hamilton as Rumpelteazer, Asia tour 2014 (X and X).

[junkyard-gifs]

Quaxo accessorises!

The Sultry Robe...

... the Fan from a Fan and the Camouflaging Scarf ...

... the Being Cool With Skimble ...

... and of course, the super cool Pants As Hat.

Tarquinn Whitebooi, 2014 Asia tour. With Jarryd Nurden as Skimbleshanks.

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Tarquinn Whitebooi cuting around as Quaxo during the interval. (Asia tour 2014.)

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Tarquinn Whitebooi as Quaxo and Munkustrap cover, in the 2014 Asia tour...

... always with Earl Gregory's Tugger in close attendance.

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Quaxo has cake. 😌

Tarquinn Whitebooi, on the occasion of the 2014 Asia tour's 100th performance.

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"Welcome to Cats. Some kittens came to the show a little more raunchy..."

Sound on. Almost nsfw, so be aware.

Tarquinn Whitebooi (Quaxo) and the 2015 cast of the Asia tour welcome you to burlesque. In order:

Jarryd Nurden as Skimbleshanks, Amy Berrisford as Demeter, Earl Gregory as Tugger, Emma Lee Clark as Bombalurina, Thalia Burt and Aaron Lynch as Tantomile and Coricopat, Mila de Biaggi as Victoria, Clay Roberts as Munkustrap, Madeleine Cain as Olivia, and Kathryn Sgroi as Electra.

[junkyard-gifs]

It's 'loving Brent Osborne's Mungojerrie' hour! 2010 Australasia tour and 2014 Asia tour. (Also the 2015 ANZ revival but I dislike those costumes so this is not the day for loving that, sorry Brent.)

Look at this beautiful feral thing - oh no wait, he's pretending to be an angel.

well, that didn't last long. Skimble tried to stop the ball game, what did he expect? (Jarryd Nurden as Skimbleshanks, 2014)

oops they escaped! the cats are loose in the city! (Amy Berrisford as Demeter, Dominique Hamilton as Rumpelteazer, Angela Killian as Jellylorum, 2014.)

he is Looking Respectfully at Tugger 👀 (Earl Gregory as Tugger, 2014)

partner in notoreity 😌 (Mischana Dellora-Cornish, 2010)

apprentice maybe? what are you teaching poor Quaxo??? (Tarquinn Whitebooi, 2014)

And with his true chaos minion and the cat they eternally torment in the bows (no, really): (Sam Hooper as Tumblebrutus and Clay Roberts as Munkustrap, 2014)

And here he is... uh... meeting a fiery end in the oven. Teazer why. (2010, probably Mischana Dellora-Cornish as Rumpelteazer.)

[junkyard-gifs]

Tarquinn Whitebooi (Quaxo, cover Munkustrap) and Earl Gregory (Tugger), plus Erin Cornell as Grizabella. Asia tour 2014.

Note that this ‘Quaxo’ is a named swing with no relationship to the London/Broadway tradition of using it as an alternative name for Mistoffelees, or the Vienna tradition of it being a name used for the First Beetle who did the Gumbie tap duet with Jenny!

[jellicle-home-for-jellicle-ships]

For Quaxo/Mistoffelees day (day 9 of Jellicle ships month)... some Quaxo/Mistoffelees! Courtesy of, well, Quaxo.

Christopher Favaloro (Mistoffelees) and Tarquinn Whitebooi (swing Quaxo), Asia tour 2014.

[jellicle-home-for-jellicle-ships]

So, since this is Mistoffelees and Quaxo day, let's have one of the Quaxos who is not, in fact, Mistoffelees! I present my OT3 for the swing Quaxo in the 2014 Asia tour: Quaxo/Tugger/Skimbleshanks!

(Quaxo is a mature tom whose actor covers the roles of Munkustrap and Tugger.)

Tugger/Quaxo, Skimble/Quaxo, and Tugger/Skimble respectively.

Please note, this OT3 is entirely the fault of actors Tarquinn Whitebooi (Quaxo), Earl Gregory (Tugger), and Jarryd Nurden (Skimble), for being Like That.

Left: The three of them making a birthday video for Tarquinn's friend. Right: Quaxo (front) and Tugger (middle) just riffing backstage—plus Aaron Lynch (Coricopat) doing his usual thing in the background!