Greaseball's Gang are diesel engines, bullies who back up their boss at all times. They open the show, skating in formation with helmet headlights piercing the dark. The gang all appear near identical and menacing.
Personality[]
Greaseball's backup lackies, the gang members are hostile bullies. Good at following orders and unafraid of physical violence they tease and laugh at Rusty before beating him up. They are masters of creating fear whether it be through demeaning silence paired with physical gestures like punching their fist into an open hand, or loudly throwing insults, the fleet of engines close in in an alarming capacity.
They rarely travel without their leader, and rarely interact with other characters such as the coaches, as they are not given the chance due to very quick intervals of stage time.
Story[]
In the original production, the three gang members with spoken lines were named "Tank", "Gook", and "Lube". It should be noted that "Gook" is an offensive slur, and all names were not kept outside of London.
In some revisions starting with the Broadway production, "Rolling Stock" follows "Entry of the National Engines". This means that half the ensemble are present as National Engines not Gang at the top of the show. Alternatively, including the original production, those same ensemble performers are Gang for the opening number. The gang also appear later in the show, supporting Greaseball and beating up Rusty as needed.Appearance[]
The Gang costumes are generic black diesel engines, lacking any particular eye-catching features. Originally the Broadway-style productions gave the Gang wigs while not wearing their helmets, however these were phased out during the 1990s along with the specific "Gang" cast. The Broadway-style costumes originally featured the Confederate Flag on the chest, and subtle coloured details to differentiate the costumes close-up. The Confederate flag was removed in 2017 when its political significance had been highlighted in world events. While the costume designs are labelled for the named Gang members, in practice the costume designs were used for the Broadway production while the names were not used beyond the original London production.
The Gang costumes are quick-change costumes, as almost invariably the Gang performers also play other roles throughout the show. For example, the Freight have only a few minutes between "Rolling Stock" and their own introduction. This is facilitated by the costumes held together with large, strong zips that can be changed quickly.
Gallery[]
Rolling Stock - Pebble Mill London 1994
Greaseball and Gang - Rolling Stock
Role[]
The Gang are generally played by the performers who play the National Engines, Freight, and Components. The Gang also turn into the track Marshals. It is debatable whether Trax are included in the Gang - as Race Marshals one would expect them to be impartial, however they are frequently seen with the gang.
In some early productions "Gang" were cast as dedicated roles. This took some pressure off quick changes for the named ensemble as they switched between their named roles, Gang, and Race Marshals. The addition of dedicated Gang performers also increased the entire ensemble, extra performers filling the large stages of the Japan/Australia tours and the original German production.
The 1993 Las Vegas production cast Todd Lester as Gang / "Flying Marshal" for his stunt skating. This role seems to be the originating point of the "Trax" roles.
The 2003 US Tour / 2004 UK Tours included the female components as Gang, as the show ran without Bobo and Espresso.
The 2024 Wembley production does not use any costume changes - the Components, Ensemble Engines, and Fuel Trucks, all support Greaseball as themselves.
Cast[]
Performers cast exclusively as Gang/Marshals and no other named character.
| 1985 - 1986 | |
| 1986 - 1987 | |
| 1987 - 1988 |
| 1987 - 1988 | |
| 1990 |
| 1988 - 1989 | |
| 1989 - 1990 | |
| 1990 - 1991 | |
| 1991 - 1992 |
| 1993 - 1994 |
|
| 1994 - 1995 |
|
| 1995 - 1996 |
|
Fan Theories[]
See Here for Fan theories about the Gang.