MDRF Saturday October 18th 2025 Recap
Oct. 25th, 2025 12:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chris_lang_mdrfSaturday October 18th, 2025 MDRF
It's hard to believe, but we're here at Closing Weekend Saturday of the 2025 season of the Maryland Renaissance Festival. I still can't believe we got here this fast.
Anyway, we had nice weather on Saturday, not too hot, not too cold. The Opening Gate pre-show was good, with Mal Rose- Society of Vagabonds and Elizabeth Bowtell talking to people about their fashion choices (Mal Rose stated that her clothes are hand me downs, since she's a Vagabond after all). Sheriff Drake Mansworth and Constance Payne helped to clear the path for the arrival of the King and his court.
Soon, King Henry VIII and the Court arrived, and Millie was so enthusiastic about introducing Hans Holbein that the renowned artist barely was able to get a word in edgewise.
Soon after, the gates opened, and I made my way to the Maypole area where Hugh MacGregor, Beatrice, and Millie presented Saturday's Entry Poll questions. Soon afterward, the King arrived and commented on the Word of the Day and the Poll, before the Morning Dance began.
Over at the Market Stage, sämäs performed their first set of the day, starting with "Listen" (about listening to the wider world out there and appreciating the natural world), and continuing in a similar vein. Also included was "Sunken Shallows", one of their reminders that life at sea wasn't always a very pleasant experience. They concluded the early set with "Awake", a song from their earlier projects.
At the Boar's Head Tavern, Madwitch was performing their early day set of lively tunes, starting with one where the Revel Grove Dance Company took positions on both sides of the Boar's Head Tavern, dancing to the music. And then came the big circle around the tavern, led by Jack Ripley, in which they made two complete circles around the tavern before then passing through the aisles. Afterward, Madwitch decided to move to a few slightly calmer tunes, including "Skywalker Walks on Sunshine" (not the full title).
I arrived at the White Hart as The Langer's Ball was in the midst of the cautionary tale about a certain type of cider, "Johnny Jump Up". They continued with a Langer's Ball original, "Mackey's Daughter", about a guy needing to drink up some courage to talk to a girl he's otherwise too shy to talk to. A longtime Pogues favorite, "Sally MacLenanne", was followed up by "Cushy Butterfield". After Hannah changed instruments from accordion to whistle, Michael then launched into "Poor Paddy", a song about an Irish laborer. The Langer's Ball has plenty of songs about drinks, but not as many about food, but "Beans, Bacon and Gravy" helps to fill that need.
After a tune set, the Langer's Ball finished with another original, "It Feels Good", off of their "Hold Tight" album.
I then joined with the Danse Macabre parade on Stub Toe Lane as they moved from Potomac Leather past Bee-Yoo-tiful You (another renowned haunted place in the village) and through the Wine Garden eventually stopping at the area near the Globe Theatre Stage.
Over at the Boar's Head Tavern, the adjectiveless Bards performed one of their drinking songs, "Bottle of Whiskey, Bottle of Rum". They then moved on to a sea song that has become very popular since 2021, "Wellerman". Afterwards came "Swindling Serpent", the story of how its protagonists turned their fortunes around. The Bards then moved into more traditional Irish drinking song territory with "Whiskey in the Jar" and "All For Me Grog".
I arrived early for Reveler's Roulette at the Boar's Head Tavern, and it began with Mal Rose singing her song about the Boar's Head Tavern, with a shoutout to its dedicated staff. Afterward, Dinty the Moor joined Mal Rose with a rendition of "Zuleika". Mara Starfire was next with "King's Shilling". Next, Arnold Connor of A Klasse Akte performed a song about a certain whiskey that originated in, the tennis sea, I think. This was followed by the Queen's Players singing the acapella musing "What Happens When a Woman".
Heather Taylor was next with "Skye Boat Song". Stage Manager Katherine then sang lead vocals on a wonderful version of "Mama Don't Cry".
Over at the Lyric Stage, Dash Rippington was performing The Dangerously Stupid Show. I managed to catch the latter portion of it today, as he moved on from his signature traps to other crazy stunts. One of these was the 'nail in the nose' stunt that was a favorite of his mentor, Johnny Fox, but as he noted, in the past five years (for reasons many of us are aware of) that stunt doesn't quite get the same reaction as it did back in 2019 and before, so he comes up with a ridiculous method of nail extraction. He concludes the show with sword swallowing and a reference to Johnny Fox.
Over at the Royal Fox Theatre, we had Puke and Snot, one of the longest-running acts in the Faire circuit. Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare, classic fairy tales, faire tropes, and vaudeville comedy such as Abbot and Costello, this comedy act is filled with wordplay, occasional self-deprecation. Topics of this show included faire foods, the princess and the pea, and world travel. Scott Snot demonstrated his alleged mind reading skills, before Puke mused about his reasons for quitting drinking. And of course there's the "Where Are You Going" series of jokes.
Back at the Lyric Stage, Ship Shape was performing their mid-afternoon set. After their intro song, they soon go into "Dead Men's Tale", whose protagonists know that their story will be told regardless of what happens to them. After the traditional song "Let the Bulgine Run", Swiss experimented with pirate walks, and then the three of them got spooky with "Good Morning To You, Billy Bones", inspired by the character who spent his last day or so in fear of Captain Flint's crew. On a lighter note, they concluded with the popular homecoming song, "Mingulay Boat Song".
Afterward, I made my way to the Fortune Stage, as I couldn't let the spooky season go by without seeing Thomas Bodley and Heinrich Agrippa, the Hunters of the Unruly Dead, perform their Tudor Ghosts show. In this show, they discuss many ghosts known in the Tudor period, and the dark stories associated with them. From pre-Tudor figures such as Thomas Beckett, Henry VI, and the Princes in the Tower, to the ghosts of Henry's three previous wives (we all know about Anne Boleyn's ghost, but did you know that Katherine of Aragon's ghost was sighted in Anne Boleyn's chamber?), several ghost stories are told. They also get into the different beliefs of the period involving ghosts, as well as the various ways ghosts might get our attention (such as phantom scents, unexplained sounds, and more). How to react to a ghost depends on what sort of ghost it is.
Village Court had Nan Rash as a special guest lawyer today, joining Justice of the Peace Reginald Waldegrave, Bailiff George Grimm, Hugh MacGregor and bard Fortune Blunt. Therefore, this edition was called "Irrashional" on Hugh MacGregor's chalkboard.
The first case was a weird one in which an aubergine (someone dressed as an eggplant) was accused of being a pirate. George Grimm was called to defend the aubergine. Here's a transcript of the opening remarks.
Nan Rash: This is an open and shut case, and I am a witness. This pirate stole my heart at the gate at 9:55 am this morning. They wrote in my book that their name is Captain Chuck, and on top of that they have a silly hat.
George Grimm: This is a shut and reopen case. (audience laughter).
Grimm: This aubergine may be a captain, but they're no captain of the ocean. They're a captain of the garden. And pirates do not exist in the garden, pirates exist on the sea. Don't we all know that?
When the aubergine was called to the stand, the aubergine said "I did not say I was a pirate". Nan Rash submitted into evidence the book that was signed.
Grimm went on to say that there's a distinct difference between a pirate and an aubergine. "Pirate parmesan sub? I think not.". He stated that the client was an aubergine, also known as an eggplant. Despite Grimm's argument, the jury/audience decided that the eggplant was a pirate.
Case Two was Hugh vs. Gifty. Gifty of the Revel Grove Dance Company was cited for Hugh-miliating the Mayor. According to Grimm, earlier today, Gifty defeated Hugh MacGregor at arm wrestling. To make this case a short one, Reginald authorized a rematch between the two. Gifty got a lot of cheers from the crowd chanting her name.
In the end, the victory was given to Gifty.
Case three's client was a radiant beauty cited for that and for witchcraft. She chose Nan Rash to represent her.
Nan Rash: I am disappointed, as I came to this Village Court a few weeks ago, and we determined in this court that radiant beauty as a law was too subjective, because everyone here is beautiful.
Nan Rash paused, as the audience gave approving reactions.
Nan Rash: You are all radiantly beautiful exceeding reasonable standards. I am disappointed in you, Reginald, for continuing to prosecute people over a law that in this very court, was determined to be unjust.
Reginald: It really depends on which day you were here.
Nan Rash: That's true.
Reginald: George, opening remarks.
Grimm's opening remarks stated that if everyone was beautiful, that would be called a standard, and "some would even call it a reasonable standard". But the beauty there was, in his opinion, above everyone else.
Nan Rash then addressed the other charge, that of witchcraft, which is related to the first charge. "The beauty was so bewitching". Her client stated that she performed no witchcraft.
George Grimm's closing statement was defending the law about radiant beauty above reasonable standards, stating that it makes everyone else feel bad about themselves. In the end, the audience/jury, by a very narrow margin (according to Reginald) decided that the client was all right looking.
Case 4 involved a man putting his wife's backpack on trial. The backpack resembled a cat plushie. In the end, the audience/jury decided that the strange backpack was allowed to stay.
Case 5 was where a little Robin Hood was charged with robbing the rich to give to the poor. Nan Rash argued in favor of the defendant, while Grimm defended the citation. But in the end, the Little Robin Hood went free.
Case 6 had a cosplayer cosplaying as Ash from the Evil Dead cited for his activities. In the end, the jury/audience allowed him to continue in his fight against demons.
Case 7 had a man accusing someone resembling Joan of Arc of witchcraft, with Nan Rash defending her. When Grimm noted that Joan was wearing pants, Nan Rash noted that Moll Frith also wears pants and isn't accused of being a witch for that. She also noted that men have been accused of witchcraft, with a reference that (according to Reginald) might have been a bit anachronistic. In the end, the audience/jury decided to let Joan of Arc go free (and thus history would not repeat itself).
What could be more bizarre than an aubergine, a cat backpack, an Ash Williams cosplayer, and Joan of Arc? How about Case 8's horse centipede?
Reginald: Come here, stuff of nightmares. A horse centipede!
Three people in cardboard boxes put together and made to resemble a horse arrived at the stage.
Reginald: What is the nature of your grievance?
Horse person: They said we weren't a real horse.
They brought their own council, and she was given one chance to convince the court that this was a real horse. She claimed that the six-legged horse was accused of being an imposter, but it had a horse's head and tail, and just because it didn't look like the court expected doesn't mean it's not a real horse. Hugh MacGregor held up a chalkboard message saying "It's Norse" (a reference to a six-legged horse in Norse mythology).
George Grimm and Nan Rash then teamed together to make the case that this was not a horse. For a moment, neither of them were sure what to say.
George Grimm: It's not a horse, is it?
Nan Rash: That's ... Nightmare Fuel. Which is ironically a good name for a horse.
Grimm then said that "If that's a horse, I should be able to ride it." And so the attempt was made, with the cooperation of the three cardboard box horse people, the attempt was made. The horse (or whatever) was not rideable, clearly. So the audience /jury was asked to vote yea or neigh, and in the end, it was decided to put the horse out to pasture.
So concluded one of the weirder cases in this season's Village Court, and that's saying something. And so this concluded Saturday's session of Village Court.
(Note: All the dialogue is transcribed from videos I took that day, only a few of which will likely be shown publicly).
Anyway, I soon headed to the other end of the Village, in time for the Ghost Tour Q and A at Mary's Dale Way. Soon after came the Danse Macabre parade, where many of the Villagers join together to sing and dance for the spirits in the most haunted place in the village, letting them know they are not forgotten. The villagers move past Skapa Leather, Half-Moon Cloaks, Crosewl's Magic Shop, Little Empire, Wayward Leather, Ancient Mysteries Divination, and more as they sing and dance to the most welcoming song they know, "Come and Be Welcome". As the parade concluded near the food court not far from the Royal Pavilion, the King addressed everyone, telling everyone that Pub Sing will be starting at 5:40 this weekend, and there is also a STREETSpeare at the Royal Pavilion and the joust.
Back at the White Hart Tavern, the Wildest Rover Singing Competition had taken place, and the Worst Place Award went to the Relatively Normal People on the Right. The Participation Award and the Wildest Rover trophy both went to the Mighty Mighty Pie Wedge.
Then came 'Rattlin Bog', which is different every time The Hooligans perform it since after 'bed from a feather', they make up new words to add to the progression. The first new word is suggested by the audience (to keep the Hooligans honest), and it's usually one syllable, but this time they accepted 'tiger'. One of the words the Hooligans added after that was 'king', thus making a reference to a show that had its fifteen minutes of fame five years ago and then was forgotten about. I must say I was surprised by this. They proceeded as usual, with the Hooligans challenging themselves to see which of them can make it through the progressions without messing up.
John Kelso ended up winning the Rattlin Bog Medal on Saturday. I managed to capture the event on video, as did a few others.
And so Pub Sing for Saturday of Closing Weekend soon began, with "Health to the Company". The Adventurers performed the ever popular "Donkey Riding", while the Brocades returned for one of their earliest songs, "Tell Me Ma". The Vagabonds were next with the traditional Irish song, "Rare Old Mountain Dew". After the Host Toast came "Irish Eyes", with Connie/Robin Sparks teaming with the Weyward Sisters for this occasion. This was followed by Sir Richard Mondes and company with "Paddy Murphy".
Idle Fancies took the stage next with "Doodles", and the Adventurers performed "Wellerman" (with Captain Red Beans hitting some impressive low notes). Millie Appleton was next with the cautionary tale song about whiskey, "Nancy Whiskey". Another tale of misfortune was related by Bardwin the Bard, with "Excursion Round the Bay" (whose conclusion Lilith Weyward and Mal Rose found to be a bit on the unsettling side). Afterward, it was time for Last Call.
This was followed by the energetic "Step It Out Mary". And then it was time for Jack Ripley to perform his version of "Old Dunn Cow", with a different snippet of another song inserted into the last verse. The Weyward Sisters (at least Constance and Lilith) were there to perform a song they hadn't performed at the White Hart before, "Maritime Moonshine".
Then came "Maid of Amsterdam", performed by Tommy Crommy and the Ne'er Do Wells for the last time this season (as for next season? Well, we'll see how the Royal Court storyline goes, to find out whether or not Tommy Crommy gets replaced in the Ne'er Do Wells by some other character who bears a resemblance to him. Historically, 1540 was a bad year for Thomas Cromwell).
Alys Overdun took the stage with her rendition of "Spanish Lady" that had a few new lyrics. Then the whole Ensemble got together for "1, 2, 3, 4", a song that's pretty much written to be performed halfway or two thirds of the way through a show. Before we move into the slower, more sentimental songs, we have one last upbeat number with "One Last Drink", performed wonderfully by the Vagabonds.
Now Pub Sing moved into the softer and more sentimental portion, with Nell Quickly singing lead on "Red is the Rose". This was followed by the Adventurers with the traditional "Leave Her, Johnny", and of course "Wild Mountain Thyme".
Soon afterward, I saw the Exit Poll with Hugh MacGregor and Beatrice. This one revolved around pockets.
And so concluded Saturday of Closing Weekend. Next is the most bittersweet day of the whole season, Closing Weekend Sunday. There were a number of wonderful moments there, but I'll get to them in my recap for Sunday.
It's hard to believe, but we're here at Closing Weekend Saturday of the 2025 season of the Maryland Renaissance Festival. I still can't believe we got here this fast.
Anyway, we had nice weather on Saturday, not too hot, not too cold. The Opening Gate pre-show was good, with Mal Rose- Society of Vagabonds and Elizabeth Bowtell talking to people about their fashion choices (Mal Rose stated that her clothes are hand me downs, since she's a Vagabond after all). Sheriff Drake Mansworth and Constance Payne helped to clear the path for the arrival of the King and his court.
Soon, King Henry VIII and the Court arrived, and Millie was so enthusiastic about introducing Hans Holbein that the renowned artist barely was able to get a word in edgewise.
Soon after, the gates opened, and I made my way to the Maypole area where Hugh MacGregor, Beatrice, and Millie presented Saturday's Entry Poll questions. Soon afterward, the King arrived and commented on the Word of the Day and the Poll, before the Morning Dance began.
Over at the Market Stage, sämäs performed their first set of the day, starting with "Listen" (about listening to the wider world out there and appreciating the natural world), and continuing in a similar vein. Also included was "Sunken Shallows", one of their reminders that life at sea wasn't always a very pleasant experience. They concluded the early set with "Awake", a song from their earlier projects.
At the Boar's Head Tavern, Madwitch was performing their early day set of lively tunes, starting with one where the Revel Grove Dance Company took positions on both sides of the Boar's Head Tavern, dancing to the music. And then came the big circle around the tavern, led by Jack Ripley, in which they made two complete circles around the tavern before then passing through the aisles. Afterward, Madwitch decided to move to a few slightly calmer tunes, including "Skywalker Walks on Sunshine" (not the full title).
I arrived at the White Hart as The Langer's Ball was in the midst of the cautionary tale about a certain type of cider, "Johnny Jump Up". They continued with a Langer's Ball original, "Mackey's Daughter", about a guy needing to drink up some courage to talk to a girl he's otherwise too shy to talk to. A longtime Pogues favorite, "Sally MacLenanne", was followed up by "Cushy Butterfield". After Hannah changed instruments from accordion to whistle, Michael then launched into "Poor Paddy", a song about an Irish laborer. The Langer's Ball has plenty of songs about drinks, but not as many about food, but "Beans, Bacon and Gravy" helps to fill that need.
After a tune set, the Langer's Ball finished with another original, "It Feels Good", off of their "Hold Tight" album.
I then joined with the Danse Macabre parade on Stub Toe Lane as they moved from Potomac Leather past Bee-Yoo-tiful You (another renowned haunted place in the village) and through the Wine Garden eventually stopping at the area near the Globe Theatre Stage.
Over at the Boar's Head Tavern, the adjectiveless Bards performed one of their drinking songs, "Bottle of Whiskey, Bottle of Rum". They then moved on to a sea song that has become very popular since 2021, "Wellerman". Afterwards came "Swindling Serpent", the story of how its protagonists turned their fortunes around. The Bards then moved into more traditional Irish drinking song territory with "Whiskey in the Jar" and "All For Me Grog".
I arrived early for Reveler's Roulette at the Boar's Head Tavern, and it began with Mal Rose singing her song about the Boar's Head Tavern, with a shoutout to its dedicated staff. Afterward, Dinty the Moor joined Mal Rose with a rendition of "Zuleika". Mara Starfire was next with "King's Shilling". Next, Arnold Connor of A Klasse Akte performed a song about a certain whiskey that originated in, the tennis sea, I think. This was followed by the Queen's Players singing the acapella musing "What Happens When a Woman".
Heather Taylor was next with "Skye Boat Song". Stage Manager Katherine then sang lead vocals on a wonderful version of "Mama Don't Cry".
Over at the Lyric Stage, Dash Rippington was performing The Dangerously Stupid Show. I managed to catch the latter portion of it today, as he moved on from his signature traps to other crazy stunts. One of these was the 'nail in the nose' stunt that was a favorite of his mentor, Johnny Fox, but as he noted, in the past five years (for reasons many of us are aware of) that stunt doesn't quite get the same reaction as it did back in 2019 and before, so he comes up with a ridiculous method of nail extraction. He concludes the show with sword swallowing and a reference to Johnny Fox.
Over at the Royal Fox Theatre, we had Puke and Snot, one of the longest-running acts in the Faire circuit. Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare, classic fairy tales, faire tropes, and vaudeville comedy such as Abbot and Costello, this comedy act is filled with wordplay, occasional self-deprecation. Topics of this show included faire foods, the princess and the pea, and world travel. Scott Snot demonstrated his alleged mind reading skills, before Puke mused about his reasons for quitting drinking. And of course there's the "Where Are You Going" series of jokes.
Back at the Lyric Stage, Ship Shape was performing their mid-afternoon set. After their intro song, they soon go into "Dead Men's Tale", whose protagonists know that their story will be told regardless of what happens to them. After the traditional song "Let the Bulgine Run", Swiss experimented with pirate walks, and then the three of them got spooky with "Good Morning To You, Billy Bones", inspired by the character who spent his last day or so in fear of Captain Flint's crew. On a lighter note, they concluded with the popular homecoming song, "Mingulay Boat Song".
Afterward, I made my way to the Fortune Stage, as I couldn't let the spooky season go by without seeing Thomas Bodley and Heinrich Agrippa, the Hunters of the Unruly Dead, perform their Tudor Ghosts show. In this show, they discuss many ghosts known in the Tudor period, and the dark stories associated with them. From pre-Tudor figures such as Thomas Beckett, Henry VI, and the Princes in the Tower, to the ghosts of Henry's three previous wives (we all know about Anne Boleyn's ghost, but did you know that Katherine of Aragon's ghost was sighted in Anne Boleyn's chamber?), several ghost stories are told. They also get into the different beliefs of the period involving ghosts, as well as the various ways ghosts might get our attention (such as phantom scents, unexplained sounds, and more). How to react to a ghost depends on what sort of ghost it is.
Village Court had Nan Rash as a special guest lawyer today, joining Justice of the Peace Reginald Waldegrave, Bailiff George Grimm, Hugh MacGregor and bard Fortune Blunt. Therefore, this edition was called "Irrashional" on Hugh MacGregor's chalkboard.
The first case was a weird one in which an aubergine (someone dressed as an eggplant) was accused of being a pirate. George Grimm was called to defend the aubergine. Here's a transcript of the opening remarks.
Nan Rash: This is an open and shut case, and I am a witness. This pirate stole my heart at the gate at 9:55 am this morning. They wrote in my book that their name is Captain Chuck, and on top of that they have a silly hat.
George Grimm: This is a shut and reopen case. (audience laughter).
Grimm: This aubergine may be a captain, but they're no captain of the ocean. They're a captain of the garden. And pirates do not exist in the garden, pirates exist on the sea. Don't we all know that?
When the aubergine was called to the stand, the aubergine said "I did not say I was a pirate". Nan Rash submitted into evidence the book that was signed.
Grimm went on to say that there's a distinct difference between a pirate and an aubergine. "Pirate parmesan sub? I think not.". He stated that the client was an aubergine, also known as an eggplant. Despite Grimm's argument, the jury/audience decided that the eggplant was a pirate.
Case Two was Hugh vs. Gifty. Gifty of the Revel Grove Dance Company was cited for Hugh-miliating the Mayor. According to Grimm, earlier today, Gifty defeated Hugh MacGregor at arm wrestling. To make this case a short one, Reginald authorized a rematch between the two. Gifty got a lot of cheers from the crowd chanting her name.
In the end, the victory was given to Gifty.
Case three's client was a radiant beauty cited for that and for witchcraft. She chose Nan Rash to represent her.
Nan Rash: I am disappointed, as I came to this Village Court a few weeks ago, and we determined in this court that radiant beauty as a law was too subjective, because everyone here is beautiful.
Nan Rash paused, as the audience gave approving reactions.
Nan Rash: You are all radiantly beautiful exceeding reasonable standards. I am disappointed in you, Reginald, for continuing to prosecute people over a law that in this very court, was determined to be unjust.
Reginald: It really depends on which day you were here.
Nan Rash: That's true.
Reginald: George, opening remarks.
Grimm's opening remarks stated that if everyone was beautiful, that would be called a standard, and "some would even call it a reasonable standard". But the beauty there was, in his opinion, above everyone else.
Nan Rash then addressed the other charge, that of witchcraft, which is related to the first charge. "The beauty was so bewitching". Her client stated that she performed no witchcraft.
George Grimm's closing statement was defending the law about radiant beauty above reasonable standards, stating that it makes everyone else feel bad about themselves. In the end, the audience/jury, by a very narrow margin (according to Reginald) decided that the client was all right looking.
Case 4 involved a man putting his wife's backpack on trial. The backpack resembled a cat plushie. In the end, the audience/jury decided that the strange backpack was allowed to stay.
Case 5 was where a little Robin Hood was charged with robbing the rich to give to the poor. Nan Rash argued in favor of the defendant, while Grimm defended the citation. But in the end, the Little Robin Hood went free.
Case 6 had a cosplayer cosplaying as Ash from the Evil Dead cited for his activities. In the end, the jury/audience allowed him to continue in his fight against demons.
Case 7 had a man accusing someone resembling Joan of Arc of witchcraft, with Nan Rash defending her. When Grimm noted that Joan was wearing pants, Nan Rash noted that Moll Frith also wears pants and isn't accused of being a witch for that. She also noted that men have been accused of witchcraft, with a reference that (according to Reginald) might have been a bit anachronistic. In the end, the audience/jury decided to let Joan of Arc go free (and thus history would not repeat itself).
What could be more bizarre than an aubergine, a cat backpack, an Ash Williams cosplayer, and Joan of Arc? How about Case 8's horse centipede?
Reginald: Come here, stuff of nightmares. A horse centipede!
Three people in cardboard boxes put together and made to resemble a horse arrived at the stage.
Reginald: What is the nature of your grievance?
Horse person: They said we weren't a real horse.
They brought their own council, and she was given one chance to convince the court that this was a real horse. She claimed that the six-legged horse was accused of being an imposter, but it had a horse's head and tail, and just because it didn't look like the court expected doesn't mean it's not a real horse. Hugh MacGregor held up a chalkboard message saying "It's Norse" (a reference to a six-legged horse in Norse mythology).
George Grimm and Nan Rash then teamed together to make the case that this was not a horse. For a moment, neither of them were sure what to say.
George Grimm: It's not a horse, is it?
Nan Rash: That's ... Nightmare Fuel. Which is ironically a good name for a horse.
Grimm then said that "If that's a horse, I should be able to ride it." And so the attempt was made, with the cooperation of the three cardboard box horse people, the attempt was made. The horse (or whatever) was not rideable, clearly. So the audience /jury was asked to vote yea or neigh, and in the end, it was decided to put the horse out to pasture.
So concluded one of the weirder cases in this season's Village Court, and that's saying something. And so this concluded Saturday's session of Village Court.
(Note: All the dialogue is transcribed from videos I took that day, only a few of which will likely be shown publicly).
Anyway, I soon headed to the other end of the Village, in time for the Ghost Tour Q and A at Mary's Dale Way. Soon after came the Danse Macabre parade, where many of the Villagers join together to sing and dance for the spirits in the most haunted place in the village, letting them know they are not forgotten. The villagers move past Skapa Leather, Half-Moon Cloaks, Crosewl's Magic Shop, Little Empire, Wayward Leather, Ancient Mysteries Divination, and more as they sing and dance to the most welcoming song they know, "Come and Be Welcome". As the parade concluded near the food court not far from the Royal Pavilion, the King addressed everyone, telling everyone that Pub Sing will be starting at 5:40 this weekend, and there is also a STREETSpeare at the Royal Pavilion and the joust.
Back at the White Hart Tavern, the Wildest Rover Singing Competition had taken place, and the Worst Place Award went to the Relatively Normal People on the Right. The Participation Award and the Wildest Rover trophy both went to the Mighty Mighty Pie Wedge.
Then came 'Rattlin Bog', which is different every time The Hooligans perform it since after 'bed from a feather', they make up new words to add to the progression. The first new word is suggested by the audience (to keep the Hooligans honest), and it's usually one syllable, but this time they accepted 'tiger'. One of the words the Hooligans added after that was 'king', thus making a reference to a show that had its fifteen minutes of fame five years ago and then was forgotten about. I must say I was surprised by this. They proceeded as usual, with the Hooligans challenging themselves to see which of them can make it through the progressions without messing up.
John Kelso ended up winning the Rattlin Bog Medal on Saturday. I managed to capture the event on video, as did a few others.
And so Pub Sing for Saturday of Closing Weekend soon began, with "Health to the Company". The Adventurers performed the ever popular "Donkey Riding", while the Brocades returned for one of their earliest songs, "Tell Me Ma". The Vagabonds were next with the traditional Irish song, "Rare Old Mountain Dew". After the Host Toast came "Irish Eyes", with Connie/Robin Sparks teaming with the Weyward Sisters for this occasion. This was followed by Sir Richard Mondes and company with "Paddy Murphy".
Idle Fancies took the stage next with "Doodles", and the Adventurers performed "Wellerman" (with Captain Red Beans hitting some impressive low notes). Millie Appleton was next with the cautionary tale song about whiskey, "Nancy Whiskey". Another tale of misfortune was related by Bardwin the Bard, with "Excursion Round the Bay" (whose conclusion Lilith Weyward and Mal Rose found to be a bit on the unsettling side). Afterward, it was time for Last Call.
This was followed by the energetic "Step It Out Mary". And then it was time for Jack Ripley to perform his version of "Old Dunn Cow", with a different snippet of another song inserted into the last verse. The Weyward Sisters (at least Constance and Lilith) were there to perform a song they hadn't performed at the White Hart before, "Maritime Moonshine".
Then came "Maid of Amsterdam", performed by Tommy Crommy and the Ne'er Do Wells for the last time this season (as for next season? Well, we'll see how the Royal Court storyline goes, to find out whether or not Tommy Crommy gets replaced in the Ne'er Do Wells by some other character who bears a resemblance to him. Historically, 1540 was a bad year for Thomas Cromwell).
Alys Overdun took the stage with her rendition of "Spanish Lady" that had a few new lyrics. Then the whole Ensemble got together for "1, 2, 3, 4", a song that's pretty much written to be performed halfway or two thirds of the way through a show. Before we move into the slower, more sentimental songs, we have one last upbeat number with "One Last Drink", performed wonderfully by the Vagabonds.
Now Pub Sing moved into the softer and more sentimental portion, with Nell Quickly singing lead on "Red is the Rose". This was followed by the Adventurers with the traditional "Leave Her, Johnny", and of course "Wild Mountain Thyme".
Soon afterward, I saw the Exit Poll with Hugh MacGregor and Beatrice. This one revolved around pockets.
And so concluded Saturday of Closing Weekend. Next is the most bittersweet day of the whole season, Closing Weekend Sunday. There were a number of wonderful moments there, but I'll get to them in my recap for Sunday.
