The Barghest of Trollers Gill
This play is based on a Yorkshire Dales legend concerning a fiendish black hound, which is said to haunt the lonely valley of Trollers Gill, near Wharfedale. The Barghest was believed to be a portent of doom: if you saw this dreadful beast, your days were numbered. There are similar legends in York and Whitby, where a Barghest is said to lurk in the darkest alleys. Elsewhere in Yorkshire the creature was known as the Padfoot.
Our play also draws on other Wharfedale locations and legends. For example, the rocky crag of Simon's Seat was supposedly named after an infant found on its slopes by a local shepherd. Others believe the hill's name has druidic origins, hence the appearance in our play of a disgruntled Druid, who laments the decline of his old religion, and lambasts the pesky priests who've been hounding him. The Druid is joined by a Stonemason, who's been building a lofty new tower at nearby Bolton Priory, and a Miner, who's been digging for lead at Trollers Gill. Through them, we learn that the Druid's disputes with the Prior were more zoological than theological, with the Druid accused of worrying the sheep at Parcevall Farm. The Druid insists that he and the sheep are just good friends.
We then hear that the Prior is more worried about his livelihood than his livestock - the Dissolution of the Monasteries has recently forced the closure of Bolton Priory, which is bad news for the Mason and his steeple.
The Priory's lands and properties are being sold off, including the Druid's favoured haunt of Parcevall Farm. Sensing a change of fortune, the Druid ponders an affectionate reunion with his woolly companions. He's too late, however, as the local Squire enters to announce that he's just bought the flock and the farmhouse, which he intends to rebuild as Parcevall Hall. An appalled Druid tries to warn him off, declaring that the surrounding area is haunted by a demonic Barghest.
So, the scene is set for a series of spooky sightings, and though the sensible Squire is sceptical of the supernatural, a sudden scare strikes someone with a seizure, and a spiritual surgeon must be summoned to supply succour.
The Prior administers some unholy water with unwholesome consequences, but the play has a happy ending from most perspectives. The concluding song is a doctored version of 'Bellman' a canine anthem popularised by The Watersons.
A fearsome and frightful fable, fuelled by folklore, flock-fiddling and flatulence, 'The Barghest of Trollers Gill' made its debut during Knaresborough's FEVA week in 2021. The Prior was played by John Burrell, the Mason by Mark Ellison, the Miner by Jeff Garner and the Squire by Julian Sharpe. Dave Williams was cast as the Prior, but suffered a last-minute defrocking. His part was divided, with Mark doubling up as a cleric and Mat Davies doubling down as a corpse. Mat proved an able understudy, having studied under the influence for many years. The play was followed by a ghost walk around Knaresborough, which helped inspire another venture for the Mummers, more of which elsewhere…
The play was rehearsed (!) almost entirely by ZOOM during the Covid Pandemic of 2020/21!