Our webmaster, Peter Millington received an enquiry from an English instructor at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA. He was due to teach a class involving traditional English drama, wherein he planned to have the students stage for themselves a production of the folk play. To that end, he was looking for movies of folk play performances that are available on loan. Because the Folk Play Research Home Page gives no clue where to find such movies, he asked for help.
Peter was unaware of any movies that are available on loan. However, there are a few video clips available on the web, and there are some movies available for purchase from commerial suppliers and archives. At least one library in England offers a video for hire, although they might be reluctant to send it out of the country. These are listed in our Links Section, but the video material is scattered throughout the section. To help therefore, Peter has extracted the relevant links to compile an initial filmography, given below.
We would like to know about other folk play movies that are publicly accessible - i.e. on the web, from society or commercial organisations, held in libraries, archives, etc. Please send details, including title, credits, format, duration, supplier or library, etc.
Folk Play Filmography
General
- Folkfilms on DVD-R: FF-1104: Mummers and Masks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUeFQAlnON8
England
- Soulcaking at Antrobus
http://mediant.leeds.ac.uk/vtcatalogue/ssaa001v.htm
Order code: SSAA001V, Leeds University TV - Videotape, 25mins, £30.00. - North West Film Archive, Manchester: Culture and Traditions
www.nwfa.mmu.ac.uk:591/search/culture.htm
Online Catalogue - Try searching for 'Pace Egg' (12 items) or 'Mummers' (1 item). - Wessex Film and Sound Archive at Hampshire Record Office
http://calm.hants.gov.uk/DServeA/search.htm
Various late 20th century films and videos are available, plus the oldest known movie of Mummers... - Hampshire Record Office: 2. 'Tichborne Mummers'
www.hants.gov.uk/record-office/film/video/farming1.html AV256/2/V1 - Silent footage of a traditional Mummers play, which took place at Tíchborne in 1919. Video for hire - The Potterne Mummers
www.potterne.net/cgi/framefix.cgi?/potterne/pot_menu.html&/potterne/mummers.html
- Picture and description of Potterne Mummers, plus a link to a Real Player video of the 1999 performance. - Icknield Way Morris Men: The Wantage Mummers 2000
www.icknieldwaymorrismen.org.uk/mummers_2000_Mov00031.html
Video clip of King Alfred's speech.. - Redcar Sword Dancers - The Greatham Longsword Dance
www.tomorrows-history.com/CommunityProjects/PK0100020001/greatham.index.htm
20min. video, and booklet "We are six dancers bold...": A History of the Greatham Sword Dance for sale about the sword dance play. - Folkfilms on DVD-R: FF-108: Step in, Wild Horse
www.folktrax.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/menus/folkfilms.htm
Folktrax - Antrobus Soul Cakers Play (1956 & 1983) - Folkfilms on DVD-R: FF-1104: Walk in, Saint George
www.folktrax.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/menus/folkfilms.htm
Folktrax - Symondsbury Mummers Play (1953) - British Movietone News: Online Newsreel Archive [Registered Users Only]
www.movietone.com/
This contains two folk play items:- Story Number 91939: Marshfield Mummers (1966) - Follow Newreel search options and search for 'Marshfield'
- Story Number 2176: Old Fashioned Xmas (1932) - Thame Mummers. Follow Newreel search options and search for "Old Fashioned Xmas".
Ireland
- Ederney Mummers, County Fermanagh, 21 December 2001
www.ucd.ie/irishfolklore/english_html/samplefive.htm
Video Sample No.5 from the Archives of the Department of Irish Folklore, University College Dublin - Augha-killy Maude Community Mummers
www.spleachadh.com/english/counties/fermanagh.htm
County Fermanagh - Video clip - Mummers: Halo
www.sligogrammarschool.org/halostephensmummers.htm
County Sligo - Photos, text and video clips - RTÉ News: Nationwide, Friday 01 December 2000: Sligo Mummers Strut their Stuff!
www.rte.ie/news/2000/1201/nationwide.html Low quality streaming video of Knocknarea Mummers. Just over half way through the TV programme - Requires Real Player - RTÉ News: Nationwide, Friday 07 January 2002: The tradition of the mummers
www.rte.ie/news/2002/0107/nationwide.html Mummers in Fermanagh and Tyrone. Low quality streaming video of Knocknarea Mummers. Just over half way through the TV programme - Requires Real Player
Newfoundland, Canada
- Mummering video of our grade 3s
www.k12.nf.ca/stbernards/traditions/mummering.html
11.9MB Video of the Mummering from the southern shore of Newfoundland