Folk Play Links - Canada

Compiled by Chris Little

Groups listed may be folk club, morris dance or amateur drama groups, as well as traditional performers. Publications listed may be cited, extracted or summarised publications, as well as full text.

Alberta

001 * The Mummers and the Paupers [by Andrea and Dave Spalding, in Canadian Folk Music Bulletin, Vol.28 No.3, Sep. 1994, pp.21-23 - Account of reviving English plays in Canada, performing East Harptree text]

British Columbia

002 * Bowen Island Black Sheep Morris Dancers [photo]
003 * Vancouver Folk Players [Annual mummers play]
004 * Vancouver Morris Men

Manitoba

005 * Village Green Morris Men

Newfoundland

The 'Mummering' or 'Jannying' tradition is currently still very active in Newfoundland. There are two 'Mummering' customs - one in which plays are performed, as in Britain & Ireland, and the other involving house-visiting in disguise. It is the latter which predominates today, thanks to the popular 'Mummers' Song' and book by the folk duo Simani.

006 * ? [Change Islands text]
007 * A brief history of the early inhabitants of Lance Cove, Bell Island, Newfoundland [internet edition] [by Lloyd C. Rees - Janneys]
008 * A History of Newfoundland from the English, Colonial, and Foreign Records [by D.W. Prowse, 1895, p.402]
009 * A History of the Island of Newfoundland: [by Rev Lewis Amadeus Anspach, 1819, p.477]
010 * A Newfoundland Christmas ["Expected Visitors " - a painting of Mummers by Danielle Loranger. Sound files for "The Mummers Song"]
011 * A Public Nuisance: A History of the Mummers Troupe [Book for sale: by Chris Brookes, 1988]
012 * Adding some Christmas Cheer - Mummers in Newfoundland
013 * Ambrose, of Heart's Delight [Figurine for sale]
014 * Any Mummers Allowed In? [Prints for sale: by Richard Steele, 1885]
015 * Any Mummers Allowed In? Christmas Mumming in Newfoundland [by Lynn Noel, in American Morris Newsletter, 1984]
016 * Any Mummers 'lowed In? [in First-Time Readers, Vol.4 No.1, Dec. 1996, p.5 - Mummering at Stag Harbour, Fortune Harbour & Colinet]
017 * Applying Signaling Theory to Traditional Cultural Rituals : The Example of Newfoundland Mumming [by Craig T. Palmer & Christina Nicole Pomianek, in Human Nature, Vol.18 No.4, Dec. 2007, pp.295-312 - Springer subscription required]
018 * Behind a winter door: it's serious business when the mummers come a-knocking - Masquerade [by Gordon Jones, in Performing Arts & Entertainment in Canada, Autumn 2002]
019 * CBC - The World this Weekend, 23rd Dec. 2001 [Audio (about 40% way through the show)]
020 * Christmas Lore : 'Janneying' in Newfoundland [citation of Melchen, in New York Folklore Quarterly, Vol.VII No.4, Winter 1951, pp.272-273]
021 * Christmas Mumming and the New Year in Outport Newfoundland [by Gerald M. Sider, in Past and Present, No.71, May 1976, pp.102-125 - Subscription required for JSTOR]
022 * Christmas Pictures [Includes photos of Mummers in St.Peter's school students' homes in McCallum]
023 * Court Cases Found In Various Newspapers [in Harbor Grace Standard and Conception Bay Advertiser, 8th Jan. and 31st Dec. 1862 - Sentences handed out to unlicenced mummers at Harbor Grace - Archived]
024 * Diary of the Rev M.P. O'Driscoll for the Years 1874-1881 [internet only?] [Mention of Mummers at Tors Cove on 26 December 1878]
025 * Excursions in and about Newfoundland during the Years 1839 and 1840 [by Joseph Beete Jukes, 1842, Chap.VII - includes a brief description of &Fools and Mummers&]
026 * Excursions in and about Newfoundland during the Years 1839 and 1840 [extract from Joseph Beete Jukes, 1842, Chap.VII - Modern photo]
027 * Folklore and the Creation of National Identities: A North American Perspective [by Gerald L. Pocius, in Journal of the Baltic Institute of Folklore, Vol.1, 1996 - mummering and the mummers song demonstrate points raised during discussion]
028 * Folk-Lore Scrap-Book : Christmas "Fools" and "Mummers" in Newfoundland [in Journal of American Folk-Lore, Vol.VI No.XX, Jan.-Mar. 1893, pp.63-65 - extract from article by Rev Arthur C. Waghorne, in Evening Herald, 1892 - itself extract from article by William Whittle, in Telegram and Colonist, Christmas No., 1886 or 1887]
029 * Fools and Mummers [by Larry Dohey, in The Monitor, Dec. 2000 - about law prohibiting mummering. [Included a painting by John W. Hayward of mummers in the 1850s.] - Archived]
030 * George Skinner's Christmas : An Incident of the Early Days [by P.K. Devine, in Christmastide, No.1, Dec. 1907, p.3 - mummers at King's Cove]
031 * Growing Up - Up in Cove, by Abbie Whiffen [internet only]
032 * History of King's Cove [by J.T. Lawton and P.K. Devine, 1944, Chap.IV - includes description the Jannies' mummering play]
033 * Ireland Newfoundland Partnership: Educational Bursaries Scheme, No.15: M.A. Thesis on Newfoundland/Irish Folk Culture [by Caoimhe Ní Shuilleabhain, M.A. thesis, University College Dublin - with a particular focus on the mumming tradition of the South East counties of Ireland, which is replicated in the ‘mummering’ tradition of Newfoundland.]
034 * Jannying at Victoria
035 * Labrador Nurse [by B.J. Banfill, 1953, p.103 - mummers]
036 * Models and Mirrors: towards an anthropology of public events [by Don Handelman. New York, Cambridge University Press, 1998 - includes chapter 'Christmas mumming in Newfoundland' - Subscription required for Questia]
037 * Monday, 21st January, 1860 [in Journal of the House of Assembly of Newfoundland, Second Session of the Seventh General Assembly, 1860, pp.27-28 - law to prevent "mummers" and "fools" appearing in disguise]
038 * Mummering [Introduction to Mummering in Newfoundland - with photos]
039 * Mummering [Accounts from pupils at St.Bernards School - including a 11.9MB Real video.]
040 * Mummering - Theatre of Antiquity [by Michael Rossiter, in Muse, Vol.49 Iss.11, 27th Nov. 1998 - on the revival of Mummering in Newfoundland through the activities of Chris Brookes - includes photos - Archived]
041 * mummering around the Southern Shore [The Irish Heart of Newfoundland']
042 * Mummering at English Harbour
043 * Mummering at Victoria
044 * Mummering in Newfoundland, Canada [Lots of first hand accounts from schoolchildren and their teachers - Archived]
045 * Mummering in the Outports [by D.W.S. Ryan - Photo of mummer models plus description of Mummering]
046 * Mummering not as innocent as it seems, says researcher [by Sheena Goodyear, in Muse, Vol.58 Iss.13, 10th Jan. 2008]
047 * Mummering or Jannying
048 * Mummering, December 27th, 2003 [photos]
049 * Mummers and Moshers: Two Rituals of Trust in Changing Social Environments [citation of Craig T. Palmer, in Ethnology, Vol.44 No.2, Spring 2005]
050 * Mummers and Real Strangers: The Effect of Diminished Isolation on Newfoundland Christmas House Visiting [citation of Craig T. Palmer, in Newfoundland Studies, Vol.8 No.2, Fall 2002]
051 * Mummers Night in Oshawa [CD for sale: by A. Frank Willis]
052 * Mummers Night in Oshawa [by A.Frank Willis. Lyrics to the song]
053 * Mummers visit my home in Newfoundland at Christmas [Photo by Shawn Thomas]
054 * Mumming and Violence in Newfoundland’s Conception Bay (c.1830-1860): New Evidence from Criminal Trial Proceedings [citation of Joy Fraser, at Taking Shetland out of the Box : Island Cultures and Shetland Identity, Lerwick, 7th-10th May 2009]
055 * Mumming in Newfoundland [by Ann Marie Powers, in World and I, Dec. 1988 - Subscription required for the full online article.]
056 * Mysterious Canada: Mummering [Texts or plays and songs, plus a painting or Mummers by Danielle Loranger]
057 * Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage : Custom [calendar customs - including Mummering - with photo]
058 * Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage : Mummers' Troupe [A now defunct Newfoundland professional theatre company, whose repertoire was based on the mummering tradition]
059 * Newfoundland in 1842: [by Sir Richard Henry Bonnycastle, 1842, Vol.II, pp.139-140]
060 * Newfoundland's Grand Banks - Folklore
061 * Northern Bay, by Mary Elizabeth McCarthy, 1964 [internet only] [Mention of Christmas Mummers at Northern Bay]
062 * Old Time Christmas in Newfoundland [by Michael Harrington, in Daily News, Vol.62 No.3, 5th Jan. 1955, p.2]
063 * Purity - Syrup [served when the costumed "Mummers" come 'round at Christmas]
064 * Salmonier Country Manor: Activities: "Christmas and The Mummers" [Annual mummers play]
065 * Some Recollections [by Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge, 1918, pp.25-27 - "Fools" at St John's & Mummers fragment, 1851]
066 * The History of Our Communities [Jannies at Daniel's Harbour]
067 * The Mummers [by Loreen Adams-Haldenby, in Downhomer, Dec. 1999 - Mummering at Milton - Archived]
068 * The Mummers Song [song]
069 * The Mummer's Song in Newfoundland: Intellectuals, Revivalists and Cultural Nativism [citation of Gerald L. Pocius, in Newfoundland Studies, Vol.4 No.1, Spring 1988]
070 * The Mummers Troupe, the Canada Council, and the Production of Theatre History [by Alan Filewod, in Theatre Research in Canada, Vol.19 No.1, Spring 1998, pp.3-34]
071 * The Mummer's Veil [exhibition of paintings]
072 * The Newfoundland Mummers’ Christmas House-Visit [citation of Margaret R. Robertson, 1984 - No.49]
073 * This Marvellous Terrible Place: Images of Newfoundland and Labrador [extract from Yva Momatuik & John Eastcott, ?, p.137 - Mummering in Francois]
074 * Twinelofts & Pantries [by Battle Harbour Literacy Council, p.18 - Jannies at Deep Water Creek]
075 * World's End Theatre Company [List with 2009 performance]

Ontario

076 * Cuckoo's Nest Folk Club [Annual mummers play]
077 * First Unitarian Congregation, Toronto [Usually mummers play for a special service in Winter]
078 * Flying Cloud Folk Club [Annual mummers play]
079 * Friends of Fiddler's Green [Sometime performers of mummers play - See: www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/inart655.htm]
080 * Mummers & Pagans & Wrens - Oh MY! [by Christopher Simpson, in Toronto Irish News, ? 1997]
081 * Nepean Little Theatre [List with 1975-76 performance]
082 * Poculi Ludique Societas [List with 1965, 1976 & 1978 performances]
083 * Wassail! - Celebrate Christmas 19th Century style
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