Hi Azizi. Everyone is blacked up, including St George! There are no ramifications of white vs black at all. It is something which not only potentialy stems from the mumming masks you mention but also seperates the players from the audience when you are, literaly, rubbing shoulders with the crowd! (Such as it may be...)

The play, apart from the ubiquitous asides and ad libs is pretty much played to the same formula as described above. In our version although it may seem that St George is the 'hero' he comes across very much more as a 'bragart'. The biggest 'sympathy votes' often go to Slasher or Hector and the biggest cheers usualy go to the doctor when he resurrects Slasher. I must say the black prince of Paradine (wherever that is!) usualy gets booed but he does play it for that effect and is an even bigger braggart that George.

There are no musical instruments at all but we do sing 2 songs - One at the begining when we enter and one at the end when we collect money. Bear in mind that our version is the Easter rather than the Christmas version but the plays are basicaly the same.

If you want the songs I will gladly post you the words but you may be better trying to get them, including music, on the web. The opener starts -

"Us actors are the best of men that e'er trod English ground
We never are faint hearted, our voices are full sound."

The closing one goes -

"We're two or three jolly boys all in one mind
We have come a-pace egging and we hope you prove kind."

Good luck and all the best.

Dave