The Penny Plain Theatre - From Street Theatre to Mumming
Abstract
Hardcastle's Mighty Excelsior Theatre Company is a fictitious company of itinerant Victorian travelling actors. In our personas as members of this troupe, we seek to present Yorkshire legends and traditions to a street audience in an amusing way. Our Christmas entertainment is a medley of old carols, dances, and comedy centred round the mummer's play from Bellerby. It is in the hero-combat tradition and includes a rapper dance. Though we use comedy as our tool, we are serious about keeping the traditions alive, and do so by making the performances memorable and by distributing leaflets to our audience to enlighten them about what they are watching. We have achieved a strong following in our county.
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About the author
Andrew Jackson founded Penny Plain Theatre in 2004 with Mark Bamforth. They are a semi-professional theatre group performing as a run down and seedy Victorian travelling theatre. They perform a variety of shows at festivals, private functions, and for various stately homes, English Heritage and the National Trust. They also enact a Christmas entertainment and its summer equivalent based on traditional folk material.
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