The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #64496 Message #1056048
Posted By: GUEST,Jon Dudley
18-Nov-03 - 05:31 AM
Thread Name: A one man mummers play
Subject: RE: A one man mummers play
This reminds me of one of Bob Copper's memories of his father Jim. In Jim's first songbook is contained the complete text of the Rottingdean Mummers play with a cast of characters; sadly as a footnote he wrote 'Rottingdean Mummers faded out 1896'. What subsequently happened, and this proves his total commitment to and love of the tradition, was that he performed the play once more on his own in around 1924. Bob remembers this clearly (being nine years old at the time) as a solo effort and a considerable feat. As was the custom in years gone by he performed the play outside the big houses in the village but history sadly does not record if he was rewarded for his efforts in any pecuniary way.
It must be stressed however that this was in no way a novelty idea, more a desire to 'keep the whole thing going'.