What's a Mummer's Play?
In the
tract entitled Round About Our Coal-Fire or Chistrmas
Entertainments is this description:
Then comes Mumming, or Masquerading, when the squire's
wardrobe is ransacked for dresses of all kinds. Corks are
burnt to black the fasces of the fair, or make deputy
mustachios, and every one of the family except the squire
himself must be transformed.
Mumming also refers to the folk play, a type of street theatre celebrating the winter season, and used as a means of raising enough money for a bit of refreshment for the players. Some plays are family traditions that have been handed down from generation to generation. Almost all English folk plays are of the "hero" type, in which a hero challenges all comers. The challenge is accepted and one of the combatents dies a mock death. A docotor is summoned who revives the fallen man. This is the basic framework for all the hero plays.
Saint George is the hero of most renown. Challengers come in a variety of identitites, usually either a dragon or a villain with names such as Bold Slasher, Turkish Knight, or the Black Prince of Paladine. Only the Doctor keeps his title unadorned with rare additions of a surname like Dr. Good or Dr. Phoenix. Father Christmas is normally in attendance to introduce the other players and keep a running commentary on the action. The remaining characters are there to add color and encourage a bigger take in donations. These can be ancient important folk characters such as the Fool, the Hobby Horse, and the Betty, or modern personalities such as Freud, Doogie Howser, and Spock. Knockabout characters with fantastic names like TenPenny Nit, Saucy Jack, Trim Tram, and Little Derry Doubt, they often deliver satiric commentary ont he culture of the day.
Costume is a disguise, often impenetrable. Alex Helm, in The English Mummers Play, has pointed out, "It was a fundamental necessity to preserve anonymity, for to be recognized broke the 'luck'." However, in most cases, it is perfectly easy to recognize the players, though bad form to say so. In three main categories of costume, the most simple involves turning coats inside-out and putting on anything that comes to hand. Another is to dress in character. The oldest type is for all players to have identical costumes, often something featureless and nondescript which hides the faces.
The English folk play, along with the sword dance, is entirely a winter custom performed between All Souls Day and Easter, particularly at Christmas. The plays are often belted out in loud voices at great speed. Usually, though the words make little sense, the overall effect is marvelous.
Bibliography
The National Trust Guide to Traditional Customs of
Britain by Brian Schuel
Observations on Popular Antiquities by John
Brand
English Ritual Drama by E.C. Cawte, Alex Helm
and N. Peacock