Trafford Tanzi

Trafford Tanzi
Written by Claire Luckham
Date premiered 1980
Setting wrestling ring

Trafford Tanzi is a play by Claire Luckham.[1] Originally performed in Manchester in 1980,[2] it later played in Liverpool before achieving commercial success in London.[3]

Contents

Plot

The play is set in a wrestling ring where the story of the title character, Tanzi, is told.[3] Tanzi's parents bring her up to be feminine, but she refuses to conform to traditional femininity and is labelled a tomboy.[3] She marries a professional wrestler named Dean Rebel and supports him in his career.[4] 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.[4]

In keeping with the wrestling theme, the play is divided into ten rounds, each of which ends with a bell.[3][5] 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.[3][5]

History

The word "Trafford" in the play's title refers to the metropolitan borough of Trafford in Greater Manchester, England.[6] The play has also been produced under a variety of other titles, including Tuebrook Tanzi,[7] Tarzana Tanzi, Tujunga Tanzi, Turbo Tanzi,[8] Texas Tanzi,[9] Tickfaw Tanzi,[10] and Tarantula Tanzi.[11]

The play was originally performed in Trafford in 1980 by the feminist Monstrous Regiment Theatre Group.[6] The play has sometimes been described as having a "bourgeois feminist" perspective.[2][3]

Teaneck Tanzi

In 1983, the play was produced on Broadway under the title Teaneck Tanzi: The Venus Flytrap.[12] 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.[13] Also appearing in the Broadway production was comedian Andy Kaufman as the referee;[12][6] Kaufman was attracted to the role because of the wrestling theme.[14] (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.[15]) Despite the play's previous success in London, though, Teaneck Tanzi closed on Broadway after one performance.[16]

References

  1. ^ Wandor, Michelene (2001). Post-War British Drama: Looking Back in Gender. London: Routledge. p. 199. ISBN 0203451112. http://books.google.com/books?id=-eL6Z-LBU-gC&pg=PA199&dq=%22Teaneck+tanzi%22+. Retrieved 2009-09-20. 
  2. ^ a b Peacock, D. Keith (1999). Thatcher's Theatre: British Theatre and Drama in the Eighties. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 155. ISBN 0313299013. http://books.google.com/books?id=UIgi0UkHKy8C&pg=PA155&dq=%22Teaneck+tanzi%22+. Retrieved 2009-09-20. 
  3. ^ a b c d e f Wandor, Michelene (1986). Carry On, Understudies: Theatre & Sexual Politics. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p. 177. ISBN 0710208170. http://books.google.com/books?id=HoEOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA177&dq=%22Teaneck+tanzi%22+. Retrieved 2009-09-20. 
  4. ^ a b Wandor, Michelene (2001). Post-War British Drama: Looking Back in Gender. London: Routledge. p. 200. ISBN 0203451112. http://books.google.com/books?id=-eL6Z-LBU-gC&pg=PA199&dq=%22Teaneck+tanzi%22+. Retrieved 2009-09-20. 
  5. ^ a b Carlson, Susan (1991). Women & Comedy: Rewriting the British Theatrical Tradition. University of Michigan Press. p. 200. ISBN 0472101870. http://books.google.com/books?id=0etVj-8dl9UC&pg=PA199&dq=%22trafford+tanzi%22&client=firefox-a#v=onepage&q=%22trafford%20tanzi%22&f=false. Retrieved 2009-09-24. 
  6. ^ a b c Hillhouse, Dave (March 10, 2010). "Trafford Tanzi still resonates 30 years later". SLAM! Wrestling. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2010/03/10/13187386.html. Retrieved 2010-03-11. 
  7. ^ Simon, John (1983-05-02). "Childish Adults, Grown-Up Kids". New York: p. 82. http://books.google.com/books?id=7LIBAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA82&dq=%22teaneck+tanzi%22&client=firefox-a#v=onepage&q=%22teaneck%20tanzi%22&f=false. Retrieved 24 September 2009. 
  8. ^ Shirley, Don (1996-09-28). "'Gangsta Love' Falls Short of Expectations". Los Angeles Times: p. F-12. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/16700753.html?dids=16700753:16700753&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+28%2C+1996&author=DON+SHIRLEY&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=THEATER+REVIEW%3B+%27Gangsta+Love%27+Falls+Short+of+Expectations&pqatl=google. Retrieved 24 September 2009. 
  9. ^ Phillips, Michael (1994-10-20). "`Tanzi' wrestles with tough issues, but does it with humor". San Diego Union-Tribune: p. 30. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sandiego/access/1245230111.html?dids=1245230111:1245230111&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+20%2C+1994&author=MICHAEL+PHILLIPS&pub=The+San+Diego+Union+-+Tribune&desc=%60Tanzi%27+wrestles+with+tough+issues%2C+but+does+it+with+humor&pqatl=google. Retrieved 24 September 2009. 
  10. ^ "Audience participation all part of LSU production". The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.). 1987-03-23. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AD&p_theme=ad&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB4744E6CE22A66&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 24 September 2009. 
  11. ^ Mukherjee, Udayan (2009-09-21). "Stages in the evolution of English theatre". Daily News & Analysis (Mumbai). http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report_stages-in-the-evolution-of-english-theatre_1291785. Retrieved 24 September 2009. 
  12. ^ a b Rich, Frank (1983-04-21). "Stage: 'Teaneck Tanzi,' Comedy from Britain". The New York Times. http://theater2.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?res=9C00E0DC1738F932A15757C0A965948260. Retrieved 24 September 2009. 
  13. ^ Anderson, George (1983-03-15). "Summertime, and the schedule is busy". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ge4NAAAAIBAJ&sjid=om0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6950,3284892&dq=andy-kaufman+tanzi. Retrieved 24 September 2009. 
  14. ^ Zmuda, Bob; Matthew Scott Hansen (2001). Andy Kaufman Revealed! Best Friend Tells All. Back Bay. p. 256. ISBN 0316610984. http://books.google.com/books?id=AadPQ6mO67gC&pg=PA256&dq=%22andy+kaufman%22+tanzi#v=onepage&q=&f=false. Retrieved 2009-09-24. 
  15. ^ "Andy Kaufman in hospital with wrestling injury". Evening Independent (St. Petersburg, Fla.): p. 2-A. 1982-04-06. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yugLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oVkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2056,1491700&dq=wrestling+andy-kaufman. Retrieved 24 September 2009. 
  16. ^ Gussow, Mel (1983-05-05). "Critic's Notebook; Olivier and His Genius, an Expanse of Classics". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/05/theater/critic-s-notebook-olivier-and-his-genius-an-expanse-of-classics.html?&pagewanted=all. Retrieved 24 September 2009. 

External links