mumming play — or mummers play Traditional dramatic entertainment. Mumming plays, which feature the death of a champion who is restored to life by a doctor, are still performed in a few villages of England and Northern Ireland. Originally mummers were bands of… … Universalium
mumming plays — The most widespread of English *calendar customs in the 19th century. The mummers would tour their chosen area, at the specified season, enacting their play in houses, pubs, or in the open, collecting money and moving on after each performance … A Dictionary of English folklore
mumming — The word mumming causes confusion, as it can refer to a number of relatively distinct customs, and many *visiting custom have borne the name, but by far the most widespread is the *mumming play (see below). In late medieval times, it was the… … A Dictionary of English folklore
play — playingly, adv. playless, adj. playlike, adj. /play/, n. 1. a dramatic composition or piece; drama. 2. a dramatic performance, as on the stage. 3. exercise or activity for amusement or recreation. 4. fun or jest, as opposed to seriousness: I said … Universalium
mummers' play — (also mumming play) noun a traditional English folk play of a type often associated with Christmas and popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries … English new terms dictionary
Mummers Play — Mummer redirects here. For other uses, see Mummer (disambiguation). Weston Mummers who performed at the Packhorse Inn, Southstoke on Boxing Day 2007 … Wikipedia
Folk play — Folk plays such as Hoodening, Guising, Mumming and Soul Caking are generally verse sketches performed in countryside pubs, private houses or the open air, at set times of the year such as the Winter or Summer solstices or Christmas and New Year.… … Wikipedia
theatre, Western — ▪ art Introduction history of the Western theatre from its origins in pre Classical antiquity to the present. For a discussion of drama as a literary form, see dramatic literature and the articles on individual national literatures.… … Universalium
theatre — /thee euh teuhr, theeeu /, n. theater. * * * I Building or space in which performances are given before an audience. It contains an auditorium and stage. In ancient Greece, where Western theatre began (5th century BC), theatres were constructed… … Universalium
sword dances — Those found in England are called linked or hilt and point dances to distinguish them from other types of dance using real swords. In the linked sword dance, participants hold the handle of their own sword in one hand, and the point of their… … A Dictionary of English folklore
