A winter tradition lives on

An ancient festive tradition is thriving in Somerset; CATHERINE COURTENAY meets the Langport Mummers

- CATHERINE COURTENAY

It was a conversation in a pub that led to the revival of an ancient Christmas-time tradition for a small town in the heart of the Somerset Levels. Langport resident Kate Lynch says it was around 2001 when she, her husband James and their two friends Hannah Aitken and Nick Durnan, decided to form a mummers troupe.

Mumming and mummers’ plays have a long tradition in Europe where actors would don masks and perform in the streets during winter festivals. In this country there are references to mummers in the court of Edward III; but the Christmas play, based on the battle of good and evil between St George and the Black Knight, had become very popular by the 19th century. Kate and friends found an old script from Lancashire and adapted it, changing bits to make it local and topical, but keeping key lines and old words from the original.