Coventry Mummers About Us

We have performed, talked and directed plays at schools, colleges and festivals, including workshops and lectures. For larger events we can offer advice and help in booking country dance bands and callers, and other specialist acts.

Our founder Ron Shuttleworth, has the world's largest collection of copies of printed material about Mummers Plays. If you would like further information on the Mumming tradition, feel free to write to him at:

Ron Shuttleworth

41 Morningside,

Coventry CV5 6PD

or phone him on 024 7667 6721

(Ron is still an enthusiast of the telephone as a communication device that promotes genuine conversation!). You can email Ron using 'this link'

We do not use scenery, sets, special lighting or amplification and so our 'in-out time' is nil and we can perform in almost any venue or situation. In the past these have included everything from small rooms to large halls and - outdoors - from street corners to big arenas. Our audiences have varied from less than ten to many hundreds and from passers-by to invited glitterati.

For anyone requiring entertainment that is historical or traditionally 'English' in character, our plays offer one of the few opportunities for sustained humour. Our costumes are colourful, our weapons spectacular and our performances memorable!

More about Us ...

In 1967 we represented our City at Kiel in Germany and for this were granted the privilege of using the Arms of the City in our badge.

Having much in common with Morris Dancers, we applied to join their national organisation and became the first non-dancing side ever admitted into the Morris Ring.

We could perform on the strict letter of the tradition by sticking closely to the costumes, texts and delivery styles of the Plays as first collected. However, we prefer to interpret the spirit of each Play with a bias towards humour and entertainment. As one of the first revival teams formed solely to perform Mummers Plays we hope that our example will encourage others to form their own teams.

Since our inception, we have performed extensively in our own local area, all over England at Festivals and Folk Days, and have also visited Germany, Denmark, Belgium, the USA and Eire.

For ten consecutive years from 1977 we were engaged by the National Theatre as their 90 minute Christmas Foyer Show. Each Christmas we perform a number of Warwickshire plays in support of local charities, keeping to the areas from which the texts were collected and adhering closely to their traditions.