Context:

Location: Sutton Courtenay, Berkshire, England (SU5093)
Year: Perf. about 1910 to 1936
Time of Occurrence: Christmas
Collective Name: [Not given]

Source:

W. Bradbrooke
Versions of the Mummers' Play
Oxfordshire Archaeological Society Report of 1936, 1936, pp.133-139

Cast:

Text:

{THE SUTTON COURTENAY VERSION.}

{Enter Father Christmas (loq.)}

[Father Christmas]

In comes I Father Christmas
Welcome or welcome not
I hope old Father Christmas
Will never be forgot.

{Enter Beelzebub (loq.)}

[Beelzebub]

In comes I old Beelzebub,
on my head I carries a tub
In my hand a dripping pan,
don't you think I'm a jolly old man.

{Enter Bull-Slasher (loq.)}

[Bull-Slasher]

Here am I all these long days
Thou hast set me across the field to fly
Go battle and battle between thee and I
To see which on the ground doth lie
So guard thy face and guard thy nose
Or I'll knock thy face right out of thy nose.

{Enter Royal Persian King (loq.)}

[Royal Persian King]

I am the Royal Persian King
come to defend all Christian doom.
I fear no Irish Spanish nor Turk.
Where is the man that did me hurt.
Where is that man that did me stand
I'll knock him down with my creacious hand
I'll knock him to smashes as small as flies
And send him to the cook-shop to make mince pies
Let all your hearts and voices ring
I am the Royal Persian King.

{The Bull-Slasher and the Royal Persian King fight, and the King is knocked out.}

Beelzebub {loq.}

Doctor, Doctor, do thy part
King George is wounded through the heart

{Enter Doctor on the Broken-Kneed Pony.}

[Doctor] [loq.]

Just come home Sir, riding on a broken-kneed pony.
See Sar Sir.
I am this noble doctor here,
I travel the country much abroad
I don't go about like these idleasham doctors,
I go about for the good of the country.
Rather kill a man than cure him
Give me my instruments Johnny,
hold his feet and mind he don't stagger.
If he don't stagger he'll kick.
Behold this tooth I pulled from this man.
Isn't it enough to kill him or any other man?

{While speaking, the Doctor from his bag a pair of blacksmith's pincers and extracted from the prostrate Persian King a huge tooth (ox's or horse's) which he holds up.}

Beelzebub {loq.}

I should say so Sir,

Doctor {loq.}

I have a little box of pills
The cure the hips, the pips, the palsy and the gout,
Honey scrubs and bunny scrubs and other tintorious things.
If my fine pills don't cure thee,
never believe me again.
Rise up and fight the man once more.

{The Bull-Slasher and the King who has risen up fight again and shake hands.}

{THE END.}

{A CAROL SUNG.}

[All]

Here we come awassailing
among the leaves so green
Here we come a-wandering
so fair as to be seen.
Love and joy come to you
And to you a wassail too,
and GOD bless you and send you
a Happy New Year.

{Largess is now requested, and the mummers depart.}

Notes:

Bradbrooke's Preamble (extract pp.133-136)

The version acted at Christmas time in Sutton Courtenay is here printed as dictated by Mr. George E. Harris. Mr. Harris is a member of a family of more than one hundred years standing in Sutton and neighbourhood; in his youth he learned the play from his father and other old folk and has passed it on to his son, Roy Harris who now plays in it. The play is not written, but transmitted by memory, and has never been printed. Formerly it was played by young men, but now by boys under sixteen.
During the last three years the players have been Raymond Mooren, Roy Slatter, Roy Harris, Cecil Davis, and Fred Herrige.
DRAMATIS PERSONAE.
BEELZEBUB in old trousers, blue shirt, old jacket, old woman's hat a frying pan, a tub, tobacco pipe. black'd face.
FATHER CHRISTMAS in red and white gown, red hat, Wellington boots, sack of toys, a stick, white beard, black'd face.
ROYAL PERSIAN KING in trousers, dark jacket, forage cap, sword, spectacles, black'd face.
BULL-SLASHER in long blue gown, Wellington boots, forage cap, belt, sword, black'd face.
THE DOCTOR in blue jacket suit, top hat, bag of instruments, black'd face and moustache.
THE BROKEN-KNEED PONY; the player has a horse-head and tail, and comes in on all fours, limping and carries the doctor.

Indexer's Notes

According to the 1911 census, George Harris was born about 1894 in Sutton Courtenay. In 1901, the family was living in nearby East Hagabourne, but by 1911 were back in Sutton. It seems likely that "his youth" would have been about 1910.

File History:

2024-02-16 - Encoded by Peter Millington
2024-02-17 - TEI-encoded by Peter Millington

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