Folk Plays - Christmas 2003

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Ryknild Rabble

Ryknild Rabble, Waiting to perform

Ryknild Rabble, The 'miraculous' cure

Ryknild Rabble performing the Armitage Play, 11th December in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England

Adsborough Mummers

Adsborough Mummers, Bold Slasher address the audience

Adsborough Mummers, St.George slays the Turk

Adsborough Mummers, Old Christimass [sic] appeals to Doctor to raise the Turk

The Adsborough on Wednesday 18th December 2003 at The Maypole Inn, Thurloxton, Somerset, England

Cold Ash Mummers

Cold Ash Mummers, About to set out for first performance of 2003

Cold Ash Mummers, Turkish Knight (Bill Ascroft-Leigh) and King George (Rick Legate)

The Cold Ash Mummers performing on the 18th & 19th December 2003 in Cold Ash, Berkshire, England

Abingdon Mummers

Abingdon Mummers, The Doctor expostulates with Mrs Finney as they discuss how to cure Bold Slasher

Abingdon Mummers, King George is down for the count again

Abingdon Mummers, Bold Slasher and King George have it out at the Red Lion pub, Drayton

Abingdon Mummers performing in villages near Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England on the 19th December 2003

Ducklington Mummers

Ducklington Mummers, Pre-performance group photograph, 19th December 2003

Ducklington Mummers, Pre-performance group photograph, 20th December 2003

Ducklington Mummers in Witney & Ducklington, Oxfordshire, England, 19th & 20th Dec.2003

Green Man Mummers

Green Man Mummers, The Doctor stands in front of the blooded bodies of St.George and Prince Valentine

Green Man Mummers, The Doctor negotiates a fee over the bodies of St.George and Prince Valentine

Green Man Mummers, The Green Man Mummers leave the room

Green Man Mummers performing 20th December 2003 in the big house on Wood St., Auckland, New Zealand

Bowen Island Black Sheep Mummers

Bowen Island Black Sheep Mummers, Group picture taken in the Bowen Pub

Bowen Island Black Sheep Mummers,

Bowen Island Black Sheep Mummers, 20th Dec.2003 on Bowen Island, British Columbia, Canada

Longford Mummers

Longford Mummers, Father Christmas, Robin Hood, St.George and Master of Ceremonies

Longford Mummers, The Bonny Print Band. For the first time, some musical accompliment is added to the Longford Mummers

The Longford Mummers, Derbyshire, England, performing in Longford on the 20th December 2003

Bishopswood Mummers

Bishopswood Mummers, Doctor Good

Bishopswood Mummers, Little Johnny Jack (plus 'Ned') appealing to the audience at The Maypole Inn, Thurloxton, 21st December 2003

Bishopswood Mummers, Group Photograph at the Half Moon, Stoke St Mary, 22nd December 2003

Bishopswood Mummers performing near Taunton, Somerset, England, 21st & 22nd December 2003

Uttoxeter Guisers

Uttoxeter Guisers, The Doctor (Tod Williams) with Bold Soldier (Graham Arnold) behind

Uttoxeter Guisers, Old Mary Ann (Robert Arnold) on the left, with the Doctor (Tod Williams), St.George (Dean Arnold) and I Open the Door (Robert Borsley)

Uttoxeter Guisers, Staffordshire, England, performing at the Bank House on Christmas Eve 2003

Stroud Mummers

Stroud Mummers, Group Photo

Stroud Mummers outside the Fox & Hounds, Coaley, Gloucestershire, England, Christmas 2003

Allington Morris

Allington Morris, Nurse (Fergie played by Andy Roberts) and Doctor (Gordon Brown played by Ashley Jones) examine Tony Blair slain by Saddam Hussain

Allington Morris, Noble Captain (Bill Clinton played by Pete Fox) delivers the defibrillator to the Doctor for the reluctant resurrection of Tony Blair

Allington Morris, Lincolnshire, England performing in the village pub carpark Boxing Day 2003

Brafront Guizers

Brafront Guizers, Beelzebub brings on his dripping pan to collect from the audience as much as he can

Brafront Guizers, St.George, Cleverlegs, the Turkish Knight, Jack Finney and Old Mother sing the closing song: <i>When the Winter Comes On</i>.

Brafront Guizers performing the Upper Brafront-in-the-Hedges Play on Boxing Day 2003 outside the George Hotel, Silsoe, Bedfordshire, England

Crookham Mummers

Crookham Mummers, King George and Turkish Knight fighting at the Black Horse, Crookham Village

Crookham Mummers, Bold Roamer and Bold Slasher on the ground, examined by the Doctor and watched by Mini Father Christmas and Father Christmas

Crookham Mummers, Left to right: Doctor, Mini-Father Christmas, Father Christmas, Dragon, Bold Slasher, Turkish Knight, Trim Tram (aka Johnny Jack) and King George

Crookham Mummers performing on Boxing Day 2003 in Crookham Village, Hampshire, England

Foresters Morris Men

Foresters Morris Men, "I'm free and willing" Recruiting Sergeant (Vic Martin) and Farmer's Man (Stewart Thompson)

Foresters Morris Men, "Behold a Lady bright and Gay" (Ken Bramman)

The Foresters Morris Men of Nottingham performing their Plough Play at mid-day on the 26th December 2003 at Bottesford, Leicestershire, England

Herga Mummers

Herga Mummers, Group photo outside the Queens Head, Pinner

Herga Mummers, King George challenges the Turkish Knight at the Case is Altered, Eastcote

The Herga Mummers performing in Middlesex, England on Boxing Day 2003

Hoxne Hundred Mummers

Hoxne Hundred Mummers, The Turkish Knight's Dragon is harried by one of St.George's assistants, with the Turkish Knight in the background

Hoxne Hundred Mummers, The Dragon is dead, having been killed by St.George and assistants, who are standing over him.

Hoxne Hundred Mummers performing at The Dolphin, Wortham, Suffolk (not Norfolk but near the border) on Boxing Day 2003.

Marshfield Mummers

Marshfield Mummers, The Mummers process down the main street in Marshfield, led by the Town Crier

Marshfield Mummers, After the fight - Little Man John lies on the floor with King William standing over him

Marshfield Mummers, Gloucestershire, England. The Old Time Paper Boys, Boxing Day 2003

Moulton Mummers

Moulton Mummers, The end of the play, singing the final song

Moulton Mummers performing on the 26th December 2003 on Stocks Hill, Moulton, Northamptonshire, England

St.Alban's Mummers

St.Alban's Mummers, St.Alban's Mummers pose for the Press at the White Hart Hotel

St.Alban's Mummers, "This hat it would speak, If it wasn't a bucket…"<br>At the Verulam Arms

St.Alban's Mummers performing in St.Albans, Hertfordshire, England on the 26th December 2003

Winterbourn Down Christmas Boys

Winterbourn Down Christmas Boys, Performing outside the Cross Hands on Boxing Day 2004

Winterbourn Down Christmas Boys, Little Fellow holding feet of Turkish Knight while he is being operated on by the Doctor

Winterbourn Down Christmas Boys from north Bristol, England perform their mummers play on Boxing Day around the village

Yateley Mummers

Yateley Mummers, The horse seems to be a law unto himself - galloping round and stirring up the crowd and trying to kiss all the ladies!

Yateley Mummers, Local hero Johnny Wilkinson tries to infiltrate the Yateley mummers disguised as King George, but can't resist the lure of the rugby ball. Duck everyone!

Yateley Mummers performance at Hartley Whitney, Hampshire, England on Boxing Day 2003

Chiddingfold Tipteerers

Chiddingfold Tipteerers, The Chiddingfold Tipteerers set off after an absence of nearly a century.

Chiddingfold Tipteerers, King George Challenges the Doctor to "try his skill" at the Crown Chiddingfold

The Chiddingfold Tipteerers performing in Chiddingfold, Surrey, England, 28th December 2003

Christmas Revels, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Christmas Revels, Harvard, Galoshins (on the floor) has just been killed by The Black Knight and Jake Straw is calling for the Doctor.

Galoshins Guisers Play performed at the 2003 Christmas Revels at Harvard University's Sanders Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Galleries on Other Websites

Galleries on Other Websites, Wantage Mummers, Oxfordshire, England. Happy Jack peers over King Alfred's shoulder

Galleries on Other Websites, Ripon Sword Dancers in the Golden Lion, Ripon. Boxing Day 2003

Galleries on Other Websites, City of Gloucester Mummers outside Gloucester Cathedral, Boxing Day 2003

We do not wish to duplicate photographs of folk plays that appear on other websites, but we are happy to provide samples and links for these sites that have been submitted by the performers. Please visit the relevant sites for further pictures and details of photographers and copyright.

The recommended URL for this web page is www.folkplay.info/Gallery/Christmas_2003.htm