SHOULD Chiddingfold Tipteerers continue to perform their mummers plays with traditional ‘blacked up’ faces for some actors?

It’s a question group members have been debating among themselves ahead of their next performance at The Crown pub on the village green on Saturday, December 21, at 8pm.

Elsewhere, complaints the centuries-old tradition is racist have resulted in a ban on black face paint at some events, despite outrage from supporters, who say it’s “political correctness gone mad”.

Tipteerer John Cowburn said: “There are those who find a source of complaint in seeing a blackened face, but perhaps they jump to the wrong conclusions and have no knowledge of our rich and diverse history and traditions.

“No offence should be taken and there is certainly no intention to do so.

“Mummers are not the Black and White Minstrel Show of the 1960s, neither are they imitating any racial group, or camouflaging themselves for some nefarious nocturnal mission – they are simply in disguise as tradition demands.”

But Phil and Sally Gorton were more doubtful, saying: “The only question that came up last year was why the Tips black up. They were not approving questions.

“It may be that the Tips may have to adapt the disguise, otherwise we might find that the performance is no longer welcome.

“Some Border Morris sides have adapted by changing the colour to blue or green – that way you would only offend Martians – and many traditional mummers sides of longstanding are disguised with tatty hats, not with blackened faces.

“You might feel that we are being coerced into bowing to political correctness, but we think that the Tips must give serious consideration to changing the disguise or risk having nowhere to perform in future.”

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