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A Celebration of the New Year mixing ancient seasonal customs with contemporary festivity. ON THE BANKSIDE, OUTSIDE SHAKESPEARE'S GLOBE. THE HOLLY MAN FROM THE THAMES - To herald the celebration, the extraordinary HOLLY MAN, the Winter guise of the GREEN MAN (from our pub signs, pagan myths and folklore), decked in fantastic green garb and evergreen foliage, appears from the River Thames brought up the tide by a famous Thames Cutter. THE BANKSIDE WASSAILS With the crowd, led by the BANKSIDE MUMMERS, the HOLLY MAN will 'bring in the green' and 'WASSAIL' or toast the people and the River Thames (an old tradition encouraging good growth). The Globe will be wassailed in like fashion. THE MUMMERS' PLAY The MUMMERS will then process to the BANKSIDE JETTY, and perform the traditional 'freestyle' FOLK COMBAT PLAY of St. George, featuring the Turkey Sniper, Clever Legs, the Old 'Oss and many others, dressed in their spectacular 'guizes'. The play is full of wild verse and boisterous action, a time-honoured part of the season recorded from the Crusades. KING BEAN AND QUEEN PEA - TWELFTH CAKES distributed at the end of the play have a BEAN and a PEA hidden in two of them. Those who find them are hailed KING and QUEEN for the day and crowned with ceremony. They then lead the people through the streets to the historic GEORGE INN in Borough High Street for a fine warming up with STORYTELLING, the KISSING WISHING TREE and more DANCING with GINGERBREAD and MINCE PIES. TWELFTH NIGHT is FREE, accessible to all and will happen whatever the weather. For further information phone 020 8452 3866/07736 150225. Email: info@thelionspart.co. Enjoy our website! www.thelionspart.co.uk We gratefully acknowledge the support of Shakespeare s Globe Join Us. Bring Someone! Reg Charity No: 1083129. I will roare that I will doe any mans heart good to heare me.Patrons: Christopher Fry - Mark Rylance

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2007 (1 listings)