A TRADITIONAL Boxing Day play has raised more than £1,000 for charity.

The crowds were eight people deep as the Wantage Mummers performed their play in Faringdon Market Place, at the Bear Hotel in Wantage and the Hatchet pub in nearby Childrey.

Mumming is the performing of a ritual play which is based on the triumph of good over evil and is a tradition thought to be more than 1,000 years old.

The performance by the Wantage Mummers, which tells the story of King Alfred, features a fight scene in which King Alfred is killed by a character called Beau Slasher.

After being brought back to life by the Noble Dr Good, the two fight again, although this time Beau Slasher dies – before also being brought back to life.

The play finishes with a dance between the characters and a monologue by Old Father Beelzebub, who talks about the issues of the past year.

Graham Hubbard, 29, from Grove, played the character of King Alfred.

He said: “Last year we raised £1,100 for the NSPCC, and this year we hope to have raised a similar amount for Cancer Research UK.

“There was a great turn-out. The crowds were seven or eight people deep at one point. I think it’s a nice thing for people to do on Boxing Day.”

The word ‘mummer’ is believed to come from the German mumme, meaning mask or masker.

In Oxford, Headington Quarry Morris Dancers also had a busy day of performances on Boxing Day, starting at the Crown and Thistle, in Old Road, before moving to the Six Bells, in Headington Quarry, the Chequers and finally the Mason’s Arms.

John Graham, 68, of Wharton Road, Headington, plays accordion with the group.

He said: “It was a good turnout. There were up to 300 people there.”

He added: “Mummers plays are all loosely the same.

“A goodie is killed by a bad character but he comes back to life and triumphs again. I’ve been doing it for 51 years and it’s a nice tradition. ”

The popular Oxford City Morris side also continued a long tradition of festive mumming, performing in pubs in North Oxford and Jericho before Christmas.