By Isle of Wight Observer
The Yarmouth Society was treated to a performance of an updated ‘Mummers’ Play’ at the town’s community hall.
A mummers’ play is a tradition which can be traced back to the 14th century. It usually involved local people, mainly men, who are known as mummers, Christmas boys, guisers, rhymers or other names in different parts of the country.
There are lots of different versions of the mummers’ play, and the characters can include King George, a Turkish Knight, Father Christmas, Beelzebub, Devil Doubt, the Fool and sometimes even a dragon.
This latest version was derived from a Mummers’ Christmas Play, performed in the village of Potterne in Wiltshire and elsewhere since the 1600s. It was very traditional, associated with the wars against the Turks and originally the costumes were cheap and cheerful, replacements for the everyday drab wear of their rural people. Many of the characters stem from national and local heroes and the story-lines can often be satirical.
Writer, Tom Davis, updated the script giving it a local Yarmouth focus. The play was performed, under the direction of Tony Stables, to packed audiences at the community hall and the town’s sailing club.
Pic: Roger Gradwell, Brian Crawford, Tom Davis (seated), Tony Stables, Bob Godden, David Lindsay, Alan Roffey-Jones and Dick Dawson Credit: Denise Cronin
Mal Butler