The Mummers first appeared in St Albans over thirty-five years ago. They were a group of friends, mainly members of St Albans Morris Men, who decided to put on a play on Boxing Day, December 26th, each year.

The play chosen was one which had been modified from an earlier text (http://www.folkplay.info/Texts/83s---sw.htm) from Cornwall by "Neggy" Wilson, a schoolmaster in Croxley Green, a Hertfordshire village, about a hundred years before. It had been performed in Croxley Green within living memory, but it had fallen into abeyance.

A number of sites around the city centre were selected for the play, and some of these have remained in use ever since, but others have come and gone, due to changes in layout, landlord, etc.

 

Back in the early days, licensing laws dictated that pubs could only open from 12 noon till 2 p.m. on Boxing Day, so a pattern grew up of "dry" performances in the late morning, followed by increasingly "wet" ones in the afternoon. The laws have changed, so any drinking the Mummers might do is more carefully paced. It remains a fact, however, that the first and last shows of the day will probably be of quite different lengths, and with quite different texts.

From the start, the citizens of St Albans have turned out in amazing numbers to watch the Mummers, with total audiences of around 2000 for the five performances being average. Naturally, the weather affects the attendance, but the show goes on, in rain, snow, fog, but usually sunshine. Some of the audience have been amazingly faithful; we have friends who have moved away from St Albans, but who come back just to see the Mummers. We also span the generations; people who were brought to the early performances as children now bring their children and grand-children.

The Mummers have also attracted attention throughout the UK and overseas. Imagine my surprise, on opening a book of events in Britain, to find myself staring out at me, as part of "the celebrated St Albans Mummers". We have been filmed for folk archives in the U.S.A., and at least one doctoral thesis uses us as a major part.

Over the years, individuals have left the Mummers, and replacements have been found by invitation, sometimes for one year, sometimes for life. Two of the original members still take part, usually as the Doctor and the Giant. Our rule is that a member retains his Character until he decides to relinquish it.

The popularity of the Mummers seems assured, and the members of the group are determined to keep it alive and well into the 21st century.