Axbridge Community Theatre

“Romans, Rioters & Rotters” by Harry Mottram is based on the structure of the Axbridge Pageant. It challenges some of the accepted aspects of the town's history, starting with the Ancient Britons and coming right up to today.

The Axbridge Pageant is an event that occurs every 10 years. The first of these was to celebrate the opening of the Axbridge By-Pass in 1967. The most recent of these in August 2000 was directed by John Bailey.

Axbridge was administered by a parish council in the 1960s and it was fortunate that the clerk Ernest Thorne, took an interest in the history of the area. One day in conversation with two spinsters of the parish Miss Cowap and Miss Gibson, he suggested the idea that the town should have a pageant using the square as a living theatre.
Since the Axbridge bypass had opened the heavy roar of traffic through the town had ended leaving the Square a more tranquil place. To get an idea of just how busy the town had been then a drive through present day Banwell perhaps illustrates the situation of pre-bypass Axbridge.
Ernest Thorne's idea was taken up by Miss Cowap. A script was produced and the community took up the idea with gusto. The rest is history. Since those distant days there have been several pageants and theatricals.
Following the last production of the town's historic drama in 2000, several of those involved decided they wanted to begin a new drama group inspired by the town's rich social history.

Harry Mottram, who wrote the play, said: "Not being a strong royalist I have taken the theme of a people's jubilee, celebrating the event without overtly fawning to the present monarchy... For instance, we get in a tribute to the Sex Pistols".

The plot:
The humorous play written by Harry Mottram and aided and abetted by John Bailey is loosely based on the sequence of scenes that appear in the pageant. Indeed the sequence of scenes is about the only thing the play has in common with the pageant. It begins with the Romans and races through the centuries right up to today.
Axbridge benefits from having a long and distinguished history that has been well documented. This combined with a strong community spirit fortified by a number of local institutions including the Town Council, the history society based in King John¹s Hunting Lodge, the Town Trust and the Sports and Social have made such an event more likely to succeed.
Add to that other social groups and a number of public sprited individuals and hopefully there is a groundswell of support for the new Axbridge Community Theatre.

The plot takes as it's template the history of Axbridge (see below)

Roman Axbridge
Everyone knows that Axbridge was the hub of Imperial Roman government in this region... well not quite. In fact Axbridge was not founded for several centuries after the end of Roman Britain. But traditionally the Romans have featured in the pageant complete with chariots - so we slavishly followed the form. Look in the museum at King John's Hunting Lodge and there are the remains of two Romans - or two Roman Britains - take your pick. If only they could talk - they might know the real meaning of what wattle and daub is.

Saxon Axbridge
Alfred the Great was the leader of a Wessex that almost gave in to the influx of Danish and continental invaders. At one stage the King and his war party were isolated, with their liberty restricted to a few scattered hide-outs in this area. Just think - they survived and eventually conquered not only the South West but much of the country - which eventually led to England, the British Empire and the English language dominating the world. Strange but true.
Axbridge was founded sometime in the 9th century with it being mentioned in records of 899.
Axbridge Saxon FC is the local football team. They began life in 1997 when two teams met for a charity match on the Furlong. Mrs Gillian Briggs of the Headmistress' XI, kicked off the game against the Mayor's XI. Since then the team has created a number of junior teams and itself has found success in the Bristol Casuals' Football Association cup and league competitions.
Axbridge Town FC was the local team in previous years - but folded some time ago despite enjoying considerable league success.

St Dunstan
In the pageant this is one of the great set piece scenes filled with reverence and a spiritual content of Glastonbury Abbey proportions. In this production it has been reduced to a farce which even Benny Hill would have thought too childish.
An able administrator, devout Christian and political survivor St Dunstan is one of the candidates for Somerset's all time finest. In this version it is fair to say that monarchy and church struggle to match Diane Lukins' performance as a dying stag.

The Charters
Stage Manager Tony counted 32 charters, scrolls, certificates and assorted Medieval paperwork. Make no mistake these sheets of parchment made Axbridge one of the country¹s most important communites for a time. The town's current council (although no longer empowered to place thieves in the stocks or quell rioters) is a direct link to these early attempts at devolution.

The Civil War
Royal walkabouts these days are popular and civilised affairs. But in the 17th century there was an ulterior motive to the equivalent of today¹s spot of PR. Inhabitants of the chosen towns were expected to reach for their wallets as the King's wife - Queen Henrietta Maria - passed by. It is a popular tradition that the pregnant Queen visited Axbridge on her way to exile.

Rebellion
It is highly likely that if Judge Jefferies arrived back in Somerset today he would be banned from the public houses of the county. He might even be dragged into a field and hacked to death - such is the bitter legacy of the memory of the Bloody Assizes. The important point about the aftermath of Monmouth's ill-fated rebellion is the huge number of innocent people who were butchered - a social scar that remained for generations.
Watch out - don't draw the wrath of the Judge - you might be put to death.

The Georgians' Hiring Fair
Take a look at the painting in the town¹s museum to see the hiring fair in action. It could be a scene from Thomas Hardy's 'Far From The Madding Crowd' - but it happened here. A rather brutal recruitment agency for the 18th century.

Hannah More
If there was to be a list of Somerset's top 100 women from the past, then Hannah and her sisters would be near the top. They began Sunday schools in Bristol, Banwell, Cheddar and Shipham... and then they arrived in Axbridge. Thank goodness the clergy are no longer drunken thugs spoiling for a fight.

Victorian Axbridge
In the recent TV series Alistair McGowan's Big Impressions screened on BBC1, there was a Kilroy spoof called 'I think I'm A Secret Victorian'. We would like to point out our scene was scripted last year! For the record the biggest period of social change in this country was probably 1832 to 1938. From the reform acts - just before the accession to the throne by Queen Victoria - to the age of TV - but don't mention the workhouse.

The Great War
Roy Fisher's powerful performance as a World War One recruiting sergent from the Pageant 2000 was too good not to repeat. This time Chris Jarman tells the ill-fated troops they'll be home for Christmas.
The names of the men from Axbridge who died in the war are read by the cast during the scene. No community in the country appears to have escaped the slaughter.

World War II
Based on conversations with residents who had lived through the war in Axbridge and Somerset this bitter-sweet mini drama is however fictional. Land girls did come to the community from Manchester and other cities, men from the town left for war and did not come back for many years - and the death toll on the roads (due to the blackout) has never been matched in terms of number of cars per fatality.

Jubilee Years: 1952 to 2002
Recent social history is difficult to put across in the context of the joke-strewn play. So the ones included are only a few humorous asides mentioned over a pint to the author of the drama by residents. Major events that have happened in the Queen's 50 year reign in Axbridge would also include the introduction of the secondary school system in the Cheddar valley 25 years ago; the Axbridge air disaster (this is the usual title in the press for the Austrian air crash) that affected many local communites (including Axbridge) in the early 1970s; and the new house building developments of Knightstone, Orchard Road, Cheddar Road, Houlgate Way and the Walnut Close areas - that have brought many new people to the town.