Mummers Play

Join us on the afternoon of 6th December at 4pm.

Members of the Sompting Tipteerers will be here to first give a talk about the story and history of the play, which dates from the medieval period.

There will then be the opportunity to have a mulled wine (for a charge) and then enjoy the play itself.

There is no charge for the event, but donations to Arundel Museum are of course welcome.

The Mummers Plays started as a form of cadging play where people dressed in masks and in appropriate attire would tour the local area performing, sometimes in the houses of the more wealthy folk, often the local manor, in order to collect money or food.  The play we see performed nowadays is probably the relic of such a play, put on at a time of the year when there was little work for the farm labourers to be doing .

The performance itself begins with an introduction, usually by Father Christmas, who also clears space in the venue for the play to be performed.  What follows is a jolly, anarchic and noisy performance featuring a hero combat with two combatants such as St. (or King) George, a turk, a soldier and various ruffians.  Much boasting of martial prowess by the combatants occurs before and after the fight and sometimes involves more than just this pair, but the person who is killed is always brought back to life by a quack doctor who first boasts of his skill in medicine and whose methods are novel, to say the least. The play ends with a plea for money from the audience, sometimes by a small boy playing a poor character to gain more sympathy, and then usually a song or carol of some sort.

The play is will be performed at Arundel Museum by the Sompting Tipteerers, who have embraced the tradition – even though the players are no longer the poor farm workers of old , the spirit and the humour remain.  There is no ticket charge, but carry some coins for the collection and maybe for a glass of mulled wine to fortify you for the performance !