Imagine you’re sitting in your sitting-room or local pub in the run-up to Christmas. There’s a knock or ring at the door and a small group of men (usually it’s men but women do get involved these days) enter with blackened or disguised faces and in fancy dress. Some are wearing cardboard armour, others carrying sticks for swords. The group asks permission for the Mummers to enter and there follows a short folk play which has often been passed down from generation to generation.

The term ‘Mummer’ can perhaps be traced to the French word ‘momer’ (to dis/guise) and Mummers’ plays – the type that the Hurst Mummers perform - can be traced back at least to the Middle Ages and were a traditional part of Christmas at the court of Edward III as shown in a 14^th century manuscript now housed in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. The plays often involve the blacking or covering of faces to conceal the identity of the player and the weaving of fantastic tales. Most take the form of rhyming couplets, some have songs or dances and many remain – even now - very much part of community traditions.

Midwinter Mumming Plays were either conceived as, or evolved into, ritual allegories about the triumph or life over death, good over evil and summer over winter. They often feature a combat in which one of the characters ‘dies’ but through various interventions is brought back to life again or otherwise recycled! As such, they heralded Spring and rebirth, the return of the Sun to warm the crops and an all-important good harvest.

The Hurst Mummers, also known as ‘The Hummers Mummers’, perform an adaptation of a traditional Mummers’ Play in pubs in and around Berkshire. We try to do this every year, subject to membership/those wanting to get involved!  At the moment, no Hummers Mummers play is being planned for Christmas 2007. However, things can change at an instant so keep your eyes peeled!

If you’d like to see a Mummers Play for yourself, keep an eye on our website for future performance dates or see the website below.  Be prepared for some audience participation!

And finally…

If you want to know more, try visiting the national folk play research archive via Sheffield University’s website at www.sheffield.ac.uk