Making Merrie (Digital)

We marked the solstice with a weird and experimental mix of sound, improvised movement, and basketry, inspired by the tradition of Mumming, from the mind of absurdist basket-maker Lewis Prosser.

We were so pleased to be a part of this brilliant improvised performance.

Thanks so much to Lewis and the performers for bringing the wonderful costumes to life, and to David Grubb and Darren Eedens for the stunning live music, moving between traditional tunes and improvised responses to the movement. Thank you to everyone at Hafan Yr Afon for being such great and supportive hosts. And last but not least, thank you to all of you for coming out and celebrating the solstice with us.

It was a joy to take the performance out onto the streets of Newtown and we hope you all enjoyed it!

We look forward to welcoming Lewis back to Newtown again soon.

Film by Ellie Evelyn Orrell.

Making Merrie is a new performance project by artist and basketmaker Lewis Prosser, exploring the material culture of folk theatre. Inspired by mummers' plays and masked traditions along the Wales/England border, Making Merrie combines craft, performance, and language to reflect on cultural heritage and exchange.

Mummers' plays are traditional folk performances with roots over 500 years old, often tied to Christmas and New Year. Full of humour and spontaneous revelry, these plays were staged in streets, homes, or pubs by amateur troupes, telling simple stories of combat, death, and miraculous revival. Unlike the religious Mystery Plays, mummers' plays are secular, carnivalesque, and performed for community fun.

The project features large-scale wicker costumes, handcrafted using regional willow basketry techniques, highlighting basketry as an essential human skill we're at risk of forgetting—a skill that, if lost, means losing part of what it is to be human.

Scripts blend Welsh and English in a garbled nonsense dialect, combined with improvised movement and carnival procession. Unrehearsed and set within communities, the performances invite spontaneity, joy, and humour.

Originally from Bristol and now based in Cardiff (via Glasgow), Prosser uses this work to reflect on his journey across the UK, observing how craft and performance connect people with the landscape. Through Making Merrie, he treats linguistic and geographic borders as spaces for dynamic cultural exchange, fostering a deeper sense of identity.

Supported by Arts Council of Wales, Oriel Davies, Chapter Arts, Mission Gallery, and Galeri Caernarfon, Making Merrie will be on display at Galeri Caernarfon from February to April 2025.