A tradition which dates back hundreds of years is to be celebrated in local towns and villages across the borough this week.
The Plough Play has been performed for the past 40 years by the Calverton Real Ale and Plough Play Preservation Society – or CRAPPPS for short.
The group perform the play each January in towns, villages and pubs across the borough to keep alive an East Midlands tradition which dates back hundreds of years.
This year’s tour is set to take in nine villages and one town across the borough, with 16 stops planned between Thursday (11) and Saturday (13).
Proceeds from the production will be given to Nottinghamshire NSPCC – so far the group has raised over £20k for the cause over the past four decades.
Plough Plays are traditionally performed in villages and towns across the region on or near Plough Monday – which this year fell on January 8.
The play traditionally features several different stock characters which include `Recruiting Sergeant, Tom Fool, Dame Jane and Threshing Blade.
Tradition has it that ploughboys would take the play from house to house and perform in exchange for money or gifts, with some teams pulling a plough and threatening to plough up people’s front gardens or path if they did not pay up.
You can see the Plough Play being performed at the following times and venues:
Thursday 11th January 2018
- Robin Hood and Little John, Arnold – 7:45 pm
- The Reindeer, Southwell – 8:45 pm
- The Final Whistle, Southwell – 9:30 pm
Friday 12th January 2018
- Admiral Rodney, Calverton – 7:15 pm
- The Green Dragon, Oxton – 7:50 pm
- The Plough, Farnsfield – 8:20 pm
- The Lion, Farnsfield – 8:40 pm
- The Fox and Hounds, Blidworth – 9:15 pm
- Nag’s Head, Woodborough – 10:00 pm
- Four Bells, Woodborough – 10:25 pm
Saturday 13th January 2018
- Gleaners, Calverton – 7:20 pm
- World’s End, Lowdham – 8:00 pm
- The Railway, Lowdham – 8:30 pm
- Robin Hood, Lambley – 9:00 pm
- Woodlark, Lambley – 9:25 pm
- Cross Keys, Epperstone – 10:00 pm
- Admiral Rodney, Calverton – 10:30 pm
For more information visit the group’s website: https://ploughboys.wordpress.com
