Thursday, December 23, 2004

Maypole To Mistletoe, Electric Theatre Guildford

Had an enjoyable evening on Tuesday Night with Graham, cosisting of visits to Prince of Wales and Swan, followed by meal at my favourite curry house in Farnborough, the Gurkha Kitchen. The meal was excellent as always, and Graham was in convivial mood.
Last night Bill took me to 'Maypole to Mistletoe' which is a bit like panto for folkies. The host read out evocative passages for different times of the year (maypoles to mistletoe) and singers (mostly Martyn Wyndham-Read) and Morris dancers (Broadwood Morrismen and Magog Morris-women) would dance or perform Mummer's plays. I was not impressed with singer Denise until I was told she was a last minute substitute and had learnt the song 'Terror Time' in one evening! Martyn brought his cute little granddaughter on for carols at the end, and the mistletoe was ceremonially lowered (I was calling, 'gin, gin' but no-one else got the joke). Then the mistletoe was sold for charity, Bill kindly bought me some.
The songs were OK, all a bit slow and Sussex-like, all very traditional. The Morris dancing was a bit more lively, but the reader was certainly the best performer. Don't think I'd go again next year, but a lot of people do, they're probably more purist folkies than myself.

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