Mumming

Mumming
Green Oak have performed mummers plays since the side started. Since the 1980s performances have been acted under the title of 'The Doncaster Mummers'. A Christmas play is usually favoured, and one has been presented at the Cusworth Hall 'Victorian Xmas' event for the past ten years or so. "Welcome me or welcome not I hope Old Father Christmas will never be forgot"
	The Doncaster Mummers are pictured here inside Cusworth Hall in December 2003. 2003 Cast Father Christmas (Des) Molly (Martin) King of Thailand (Jim) St. George (Pete) Dragon (Gordon) Doctor (Mick) Turkish Knight (Jamie) Beelzebub (Rick)
In January 2005 the performance changed! Instead of the above, the Hooton Pagnell Plough Play was enacted at Hooton Pagnell itself, a pretty village 7 miles north-west of Doncaster. Mumming in this village was previously last performed circa 1913. The performance took place at midday on Plough Sunday (9th January) under the archway in the grounds of Hooton Pagnell Hall, with kind permission of Mr Warde-Norbury. "Room, room brave gallants, give us room to sport For in this room we wish for to resort" Look carefully at the photographs as a set of traditional mummers' Swords and Maces were used. It is thought that the items date from the 1820s, and were last used by the Laughton en le Morthen mummers in the 1880s. The revival of the Hooton Pagnell play was a fitting occasion for brandishing the old steel once more! "I am St.George, that noble champion bold And with this my trusty sword I won ten thousand pounds in gold"

The characters in the Hooton Pagnell play are shown here just inside Hooton Pagnell Hall inner gateway lined up 'ready for action'! Left to Right: Doctor (Mick), King of Egypt (Jim) (also doubled up as Johnny Jack), Fool (Ian), St. George (Pete), Black Prince (Danny), Bold Slasher (Gordon), Beelzebub (Norman) Hector (Jamie) [hidden]

FOOL "Alas! Alas! My chiefest son is slain, What must I do to raise him up again? Here he lies in the presence of you all. A doctor! A doctor! Ten pounds for a doctor! I’ll go and fetch a doctor."

DOCTOR "Ten pounds is my fee, But, Jack if thou be an honest man I’ll only take five of thee."

BLACK PRINCE OF PALADINE "Draw out thy sword and slay. Pull out thy purse and pay. For I will have recompense Before I go away."

ST. GEORGE "Now Prince of Paladine is dead, And all his joys entirely fled. Take him and give him to the flies, Let him no more come near my eyes.

HECTOR "How canst thou send me to Black Sam before I am three days old? Since my head is made of iron, My body is made of steel, My hands and feet of knuckle-bone, I challenge thee to field."
The text of the play may be downloaded HERE. Please remember that the language used was that of yesteryear, and that it is has not been 'bowdlerised' for twenty-first century sensibilities.