Plymouth Mummers

The Plymouth Mummers - The Horse and Groom, Bittaford. 16/12/15

The Plymouth Mummers Play
has been revived in recent years by members of Plymouth Morris Men. The current play is centered on Queen Elizabeth 1, Philip, King of Spain, Walter Raleigh and Francis Drake, with the usual supporting characters of the Doctor and Old Father Christmas.

The play is based on a text by Andy Folkes and Paul Hawkins of the Titchfield Mummers, acquired from the Wickham Morris by Julian Kohler and modified in rhyming couplets to reflect the actual phrasing used by each of the cast. The Prologue verses were written by John Summerscales (13 December 2005) and, like the script, change from year to year.

Changes to the stage directions and modifications to the script are made each year by the cast members to reflect topical items of the news at the time of the individual performances.

The Raleigh’s Cigarette section acknowledges the inspiration of Bob Newhart's monologue.
 
The fight scene owes it’s format to the “Monty Python” fish sketch.

A performance of one previous version of the play is available on Youtube via the link at the top of this page.

Details of Mummers Plays throughout the country and further afield can be found at

http://www.mastermummers.org/events/index.php

---

The first public performance of the play was for “Peninsula Arts/Plymouth Folk Festival” at the Sherwell Centre on Wednesday 14 December 2005. Our 50th performance took place on 29th November 2014 when the Play went on the road - to Looe! Other performances were as follows:
2.     Friday 16 December 2005            “Cos’ Carols” at the Edgcumbe  Arms - Cremyll
3.     Boxing Day 2005                           Cornwood Inn
4.     Friday 15 December 2006            “Cos’ Carols” at the Edgcumbe Arms - Cremyll
5.     Tuesday 19 December 2006         Hele Arms - Plympton
6.     Tuesday 19 December 2006         Forresters - Plympton
7.     Tuesday 19 December 2006         London Inn - Plympton
8.     Boxing Day 2006                           Cornwood Inn
9.     Wednesday 12 December 2007    Westward Inn - Lee Mill
10.   Wednesday 12 December 2007    Morley Arms - Plymstock
11.   Friday 14 December 2007             “Cos’ Carols” at the Edgcumbe Arms - Cremyll
12.   Boxing Day 2007                           Cornwood Inn
13.   Friday 12 December 2008             “Cos’ Carols” at the Edgcumbe Arms - Cremyll
14.   Friday 19 December 2008             Sportsmans - Ivybridge
15.   Friday 19 December 2008             Horse and Groom - Bittaford
16.   Tuesday 23 December 2008         RAOB - North Hill
17.   Tuesday 23 December 2008         Westward Inn - Lee Mill,
18.   Boxing Day 2008                           Morley Arms – Plymstock
19.   Friday 11 December 2009             “Cos’ Carols” at the Edgcumbe Arms - Cremyll
20.   Tuesday 22 December 2009          Morley Arms - Plymstock
21.   Tuesday 22 December 2009          RAOB - North Hill
22.   Wednesday 23 December 2009     Horse and Groom - Bittaford
23.   Boxing Day 2009                            Cornwood Inn
24.   Thursday 21 October 2010             Blue Peter in Plymstock
25.   Wednesday 01 December 2010     Manadon Masonic Hall
26.   Wednesday 15 December 2010     Morley Arms - Plymstock
27.   Friday 17 December 2010              “Cos’ Carols” at the Edgcumbe Arms - Cremyll
28.   Wednesday 22 December 2010     Horse and Groom - Bittaford
29.   Boxing Day 2010                            Cornwood Inn
30.   Tuesday 28 December 2010          Artillery Arms – Stonehouse
31.   Sunday 17 April 2011                     Crediton Folk Festival at Cheriton Fitzpaine
32.   Wednesday 07 December 2011     Manadon Masonic Hall
33.   Friday 16 December 2011              “Cos’ Carols” at the Edgcumbe Arms - Cremyll
34.   Wednesday 21 December 2011     Horse and Groom - Bittaford
35.   Boxing Day 2011                            Morley Arms – Plymstock
36.   Friday 06 January 2012                  Plymouth Inter-Varsity Club - Milehouse
37.   Sunday 15 April 2012                     Crediton Folk Festival at Cheriton Fitzpaine
38.   Monday 10 December 2012           Plymstock Inn
39.   Friday 14 December 2012              “Cos’ Carols” at the Edgcumbe Arms - Cremyll
40.   Wednesday 19 December 2012     Horse and Groom - Bittaford
41.   Thursday 20 December 2012         Donkey Sanctuary
42.   Boxing Day 2012                            Morley Arms – Plymstock
43.   Friday 29 November 2013              Crooked Spire, Ermington
44.   Thursday 12 December 2013         Duke of Cornwall
45.   Thursday 12 December 2013         Bread and Roses, Ebrington Street
46.   Friday 13 December 2013              “Cos’ Carols” at the Morley Arms
47.   Wednesday 18 December 2013     Horse and Groom – Bittaford
48.   Saturday 21 December 2013         Sparkwell Village Hall
49.   Boxing Day 2013                            Morley Arms
50.  Saturday 29 November 2014           Looe
51.  Saturday 29 November 2014           Looe
52.  Saturday 29 November 2014           Looe
53.  Thursday 04 December 2014          The Brook Inn, Plympton St Maurice
54.  Friday 12 December 2014               “Cos’ Carols” at the Morley Arms
55.  Tuesday 16 December 2014           RAOB Club - North Hill
56.  Wednesday 17 December 2014       The Horse and Groom, Bittaford
57.  Friday 26 December 2014               Morley Arms
58.  Friday 30 January 2015                   Sportsmans Arms, Ivybridge  
59.  Friday 30 January 2015                   Westward Inn, Lee Mill
60. Tuesday 01 December 2015            The Brook Inn, Plympton St Maurice
61. Tuesday 01 December 2015            The George Inn, Plympton
62. Thursday 10 December 2015           Hillside Court, Plympton
63. Thursday 10 December 2015           The Stoke Inn, Stoke Village
64. Wednesday 16 December 2015        The Horse and Groom, Bittaford
65. Friday 18 December  2015               Cos' Carols" at The Morley Arms          
66. Friday 18  December 2015               The Westward Inn, Lee Mill
67. Saturday 26 December 2015            The Morley Arms
68. Saturday 3 December 2016              Stoke Community Centre, Stoke Village
69. Friday 9 December 2016                  The Stoke Inn, Stoke Village 
70. Tuesday 13 December 2016             Hillside Court, Plympton
71. Tuesday 13 December 2016             The Brook Inn, Plympton St Maurice
72. Friday 16 December 2016                "Cos' Carols" at The Morley Arms
73. Wednesday 21 December 2016        The Horse and Groom, Bittaford
​74. Monday 26 December 2016             The Morley Arms
75. Wednesday 6 December 2017         Manadon Masonic Hall
76. Monday 11 December 2017              Union Corner, Union Street, Plymouth
77. Friday 15 December 2017                 Artillery Arms, Stonehouse
78. Wednesday 20 December 2017       The Horse and Groom, Bittaford
79. Tuesday 26 December 2017             The Brook Inn, Plympton St Maurice