Trafford Tanzi
Encyclopedia
Trafford Tanzi is a play by Claire Luckham. Originally performed in Manchester
in 1980, it later played in Liverpool
before achieving commercial success in London
.
where the story of the title character, Tanzi, is told. Tanzi's parents bring her up to be feminine, but she refuses to conform to traditional femininity and is labelled a tomboy. She marries a professional wrestler named Dean Rebel and supports him in his career. Eventually, she becomes a champion professional wrestler herself and finally challenges her husband Dean to a match, with the loser being required to do the housework.
In keeping with the wrestling theme, the play is divided into ten rounds, each of which ends with a bell. All of the cast members participate in wrestling during the play, and the audience is welcome to cheer and boo the characters as though they were at an actual wrestling match.
of Trafford
in Greater Manchester
, England
. The play has also been produced under a variety of other titles, including Tuebrook
Tanzi, Tarzana Tanzi, Tujunga Tanzi, Turbo Tanzi, Texas
Tanzi, Tickfaw
Tanzi, and Tarantula Tanzi.
The play was originally performed in Trafford in 1980 by the feminist Monstrous Regiment Theatre Group. The play has sometimes been described as having a "bourgeois feminist" perspective.
under the title Teaneck
Tanzi: The Venus Flytrap. Alternating in the lead role of Tanzi were Deborah Harry (lead singer of the band Blondie
) and Caitlin Clarke
; the role was double-cast because of the strenuous nature of the wrestling involved. Also appearing in the Broadway production was comedian Andy Kaufman
as the referee; Kaufman was attracted to the role because of the wrestling theme. (Kaufman had himself been known for wrestling against women and had claimed to be the world inter-gender wrestling champion, known for his staged match with professional wrestler Jerry Lawler
.) Despite the play's previous success in London, though, Teaneck Tanzi closed on Broadway after one performance.
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in 1980, it later played in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
before achieving commercial success in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Plot
The play is set in a wrestling ringWrestling ring
A wrestling ring is the ring stage on which professional wrestlers wrestle.-Configuration and construction:The configuration and construction of the "traditional" ring is very similar to that of a boxing ring, though the wrestling version has three ring ropes...
where the story of the title character, Tanzi, is told. Tanzi's parents bring her up to be feminine, but she refuses to conform to traditional femininity and is labelled a tomboy. She marries a professional wrestler named Dean Rebel and supports him in his career. Eventually, she becomes a champion professional wrestler herself and finally challenges her husband Dean to a match, with the loser being required to do the housework.
In keeping with the wrestling theme, the play is divided into ten rounds, each of which ends with a bell. All of the cast members participate in wrestling during the play, and the audience is welcome to cheer and boo the characters as though they were at an actual wrestling match.
History
The word "Trafford" in the play's title refers to the metropolitan boroughMetropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
of Trafford
Trafford
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston...
in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The play has also been produced under a variety of other titles, including Tuebrook
Tuebrook
Tuebrook is an area of inner-city Liverpool, Merseyside, England. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 14,490.-Toponymy:The origin of the name may be Tew Brook, which was a tributary of the Alt...
Tanzi, Tarzana Tanzi, Tujunga Tanzi, Turbo Tanzi, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Tanzi, Tickfaw
Tickfaw, Louisiana
Tickfaw is a village in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 617 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Hammond Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Tickfaw is located at ....
Tanzi, and Tarantula Tanzi.
The play was originally performed in Trafford in 1980 by the feminist Monstrous Regiment Theatre Group. The play has sometimes been described as having a "bourgeois feminist" perspective.
Teaneck Tanzi
In 1983, the play was produced on BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
under the title Teaneck
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
Tanzi: The Venus Flytrap. Alternating in the lead role of Tanzi were Deborah Harry (lead singer of the band Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
) and Caitlin Clarke
Caitlin Clarke
Caitlin Clarke was an American theater and film actress best known for her role as Valerian in the 1981 fantasy film Dragonslayer and for her role as Charlotte Cardoza in the 1998–1999 Broadway musical Titanic....
; the role was double-cast because of the strenuous nature of the wrestling involved. Also appearing in the Broadway production was comedian Andy Kaufman
Andy Kaufman
Andrew Geoffrey "Andy" Kaufman was an American entertainer, actor and performance artist. While often referred to as a comedian, Kaufman did not consider himself one...
as the referee; Kaufman was attracted to the role because of the wrestling theme. (Kaufman had himself been known for wrestling against women and had claimed to be the world inter-gender wrestling champion, known for his staged match with professional wrestler Jerry Lawler
Jerry Lawler
Jerry O'Neil Lawler is an American professional wrestler, wrestling commentator, musician, businessman, commercial artist and film actor, known throughout the wrestling world as Jerry "The King" Lawler. He is currently signed to WWE, working on its Raw brand as the color commentator and occasional...
.) Despite the play's previous success in London, though, Teaneck Tanzi closed on Broadway after one performance.