Wrench is Electra's repair truck, one of the Components, in Starlight Express.
Personality[]
Electra's repair truck is usually the most straight-forward and aggressive of the female components. Where Volta is an ice queen and Joule is animal sensuality, Wrench is butch, practical, lacking any feminine softness about her. She is a character not to be crossed. She is Electra's repair truck, a trained medic on hand at all times who knows how to break bodies as well as repair them.
Tickovers: Wrench's hands are in fists almost all the time, most of her poses have her arms either bend 90° or stretched out straight.
Story[]
In the Original Production, we first meet Wrench after Pumping Iron, as Control calls the final entries for the race, and the power drains. Out of the dark shoot lasers, and the Components emerge from the smoke, talking in code. Finally their boss appears (AC/DC), Electra, the engine of the future, a composite made from the sum of all the parts of the Components. Wrench is often seen mirroring Krupp.
Control calls the Racers forward, each to choose their race partner, and Wrench hooks up with Turnov - this can be construed as part of a master plan by Electra to weaken the competition by having his own people racing with them. However generally the Components are seen to be genuinely supportive of their engines and hope to win. In the original race structure, Turnov and Wrench raced in Heat 3, and were beaten by Poppa and Dustin. The humiliation.
In the huge argument following Poppa's qualification for the final (The Rap), Wrench of course obeys and follows Electra, and she is horrified when Pearl leaves him for Greaseball. The Components are, as ever, adoringly following Electra as he meets with Caboose and learns of his nefarious schemes (Wide Smile). Wrench is relegated to the sidelines during the Uphill Final, as the race ends in a dead heat. Some time later, we see Electra and his new race partner, Dinah, an unhappy team, and just before the re-run of the final race, Dinah disconnects Electra. Wrench and the Components are right there, yet Electra chooses to race with Caboose at the last minute, giving the treacherous brake van a place in the final.
Between Electra's arrogance, Greaseball's violence, and Caboose's insane meddling, Rusty and Dustin take the lead and win the race! Furious and humiliated, Electra throws a tantrum and swears he'll never be seen there again (No Comeback), leaving his Components behind. But they're present to witness the pitiful train wreck that is what remains of Greaseball and Caboose (One Rock & Roll Too Many), and find the happily ever after of "Light at the End of the Tunnel".In later versions of the show, AC/DC is before Pumping Iron, which means the female components are swayed away from Electra to dance with Greaseball. Wrench dances with Greaseball even when male. In the later London show, Wrench and Turnov raced in Heat 2.
Appearance[]
Gallery[]
Role[]
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| Audition Notices |
History[]
Whenever cast issues have required that a male swing covers a female role, it is usually Wrench who becomes male. This became so common that between 2005-2010 in the Bochum production that Wrench was cast male, and covered by both male and female swings. Male Wrench struggles in personality, as he lacks distinguishing characteristics; where female Wrench is the most masculine of the female components, male Wrench is aggressive but not as aggressive as Krupp. He is effeminate to a degree, but not as elegant and sensual as Purse. He still dances "Pumping Iron" with the girls, but is ignored by Greaseball.
Cast[]
London
| 1984 - 1987 | Carole Amphlett |
| 1987 - 1988 | Zoe Caryl |
| 1988 - 1989 | ? |
| 1989 - 1990 | Samantha Lane |
| 1990 - 1991 | Troy Adams |
| 1991 - 1992 | Michelle Anne Musty |
| 1992 - 1993 | Samantha Biddulph |
| 1993 - 1994 | Sophie Hamilton |
| 1994 - 1995 | Tara Wilkinson |
| 1995 - 1996 | Jane Housley |
| 1996 - 1998 | Sharon Mudie |
| 1998 - 1999 | Pippa Gebette |
| 1999 - 2000 | Amy Field |
| 2000 - 2002 | Kate Alexander |
Broadway
| 1987 - 1988 | Christina Youngman |
| 1988 - 1989 | Stacey Heinz |
Japan / Australia Tours
| 1987 | Louise Conte |
| 1990 | Miwako Montani |
Bochum, Germany
| 1988 - 1989 | Louise Conte |
| 1989 - 1990 | Annemiek Kloek / Dawn Leigh Woods |
| 1990 - 1991 | Dawn Leigh Woods |
| 1991 - 1992 | Nicky Forsyth |
| 1992 - 1994 | Andrea Leslie |
| 1994 - 1995 | Jill Marie Pergl |
| 1995 - 1996 | Juliette Verne |
| 1996 - 1997 | Melanie Housley |
| 1997 - 1998 | Ruth Anderson |
| 1998 - 1999 | Giorgia Barberi |
| 1999 - 2000 | Kirsty Wone |
| 2000 - 2001 | Kati Heidebrecht |
| 2001 - 2003 | Emma Nelson |
| 2003 - 2004 | Melissa Keyes |
| 2004 - 2005 | Rebecca Lisewski |
| 2005 - 2006 | Peelee |
| 2006 - 2007 | Michael Byrne |
| 2007 - 2009 | Marc McFadyen |
| 2009 - 2011 | Joe Ryan |
| 2011 - 2012 | Lauren Hearnden Mayer |
| 2012 - 2013 | Sophie Ellis |
| 2013 - 2014 | Tabitha Camburn |
| 2014 - 2015 | Melanie Brown |
| 2015 - 2016 | Samara Casteallo |
| 2016 - 2017 | Helen Petrovna |
| 2017 - 2018 | Hannah Kiss |
| 2018 - 2019 | Aisha Numah |
| 2019 - 2020 | Halimah Kyrgios |
| 2020 - 2021 | Janice Rijssel (Cancelled due to Covid) |
| 2021 - 2022 | Janice Rijssel |
| 2022 - 2022 | Lucy Glover |
| 2022 - 2023 | Brad Corben |
| 2023 - 2023 | Priscilla Osegie |
| 2023 - 2024 | Bethany Perry |
| 2024 - 2025 | Maja Johansson |
US Tour 1989 - 1991
| 1989 - 1991 | Renee Chambers |
Las Vegas 1993 - 1997
| 1993 - 1994 | Natasha Rennalls |
| 1994 - 1995 | Nicole Discola |
| 1995 - 1996 | ? |
| 1996 - 1997 | Sheri Kush |
US Tour 2003 - 2004
| 2003 - 2004 | Robyn Hurder |
UK Tours 2004 - 2008
| 2004 - 2005 | Ruthie Stephens |
| 2006 - 2007 | Bekki Carpenter |
| 2007 - 2008 | Amy Webb |
NZ Tour 2009
| 2009 | Hannah Kee |
UK Tour 2012-2013
| 2012 - 2013 | Sarah Riches |
| Asia 2013 | Hannah Kee |
Wembley, London 2024
| 2024 - 2025 | Lilianna Hendy |
Fan Theories[]
See Here for Fan theories about Wrench.