The Alderley Mummer’s Play: A Story of Survival and Revival

The Alderley Mummers' Play was revived around 1820 by Samuel Barber, a tenant farmer on Lord Stanley's estate in Nether Alderley, Cheshire. The play was subsequently passed down through four generations of the Barber family and became a regular feature of the Christmas festivities at Alderley Park, until the estate was broken up and sold in 1937.

This paper examines the revivals and changes that the play underwent, reflecting the master/tenant relationship of the two families. In addition the paper includes a comment on some of the 'revival' sides that have appeared since Helm first published the text in 1955.