| Where: | Newark on Trent, Notts in the Market Place outside the Queens Head and North Muskham, Notts at the Ferry Inn on Ferry Lane (see Helpful Hints) |
| When: | Saturday in early January |
| Time: | 12 noon- 12.15-ish at Newark, 1.30-ish at North Muskham (timings may be a little flexible- see Helpful Hints!) |
The Muskham Pinkies are keeping their mummers Plough Play alive in January each year, carrying on a tradition dating back to the sixteenth century and probably beyond. Their play is a hero/combat wooing play with a revival by the Doctor and is performed in rhyme with characters such as the Recruiting Sergeant, Thrashing Blade and Eezum Squeezum. Also expect dances by Rattlejag Morris, who are particularly associated with Plough Monday celebrations and whose name comes from the rattles that the plough boys used to enhance their dancing.
Helpful Hints
The performance of the play lasts around ten minutes and it’s usually carried out twice at Newark and once at North Muskham. In 2017 the group performed two different plays interspersed with dances from Rattlejag and the performances lasted just over half-an-hour altogether.
In 2025 it should be on Saturday January 4th (times and date to be confirmed).It moves a little in date from year to year, but is usually the first Saturday of the month, or sometimes the second in the month. In 2019 it was on Saturday 12th January and the locations used were at Caunton and North Muskham (not Newark) but 2020 saw a return to the usual start at Newark followed by the Ferry Inn at North Muskham. As the date, times and location are often announced very near to performance, I’d advise potential visitors to double-check the Rattlejag website Diary or Master mummers site (follow links below) before setting off – and also they may be subject to change at very short notice.
Click here to find the full schedule (select Muskham Pinkies) : http://www.mastermummers.org
Click here for Rattlejag’s website: http://www.rattlejagmorris.org.uk/
i saw the play at the ferry inn as i didn’t want to go to Newark with my dog.
well worth a visit some Sheffield carols were sung and the play of about 10minutes was performed a little after 1.30.
Rattlejag danced a Bacca pipe (which I’ve never seen before) and were still dancing when I walked my dog up the riverside,well after 2 pm.
North Muskham is very easy to find being just off the A1 and the ferry inn has a large carpark nice food and drink, this is a very suitable event for all ages and this is the first plough play i’ve seen and i’m hoping to get to see some others.
the only advertising i saw for this was a small poster in the entrance to the pub. Could have done with a bit more!