A site for Characters, Animals, Fools, Étc in the Morris.
Welcome to the Morris Café, a meeting place for all those people who perform with Morris sides, but not primarily as a dancer or musician. That doesn't mean dancers and musicians are unwelcome, just that this site plans to concentrate on other aspects of Morris performance.
Animals and Fools are the best-known Morris attendants, but there are people who don't quite fit these categories, who work as collectors, announcers, cake-bearers, etc. All these characters contribute to "the Morris experience", and what they do is important.
In most clubs, there are only one or two people filling these roles, which means that their skills are often developed in relative isolation. I hope this site will bring people together, online at first, but in the flesh too, as time goes on.
The aim of the café is to provide a forum for the exchange of news, views, theory and practice about the activities of Morris characters, in the hope that we can learn from each other and improve our individual skills. The better we are, the more we contribute to our sides performances, and to the public's enjoyment.
The café is open to everyone; we couldn't care less whether the side you work with is a member of any Morris organisation or of none, or what style of dance it performs. There are too few people with the inclination and the skills to take on Fool / Animal / Character roles to even contemplate excluding anyone on any grounds whatever.
Oh, one more thing. From here on in, I intend to spell "cafe" WITHOUT the accent. If this offends les Francophones, sorry, but life's too short to type (Alt + 0233) every time the word comes up.
Can I help?
Yes, please! If you are a Morris Fool, Animal or Character, e-mail me, the bottlewasher, at the Cafe. I want names, pictures, stories, histories, anecdotes, mersidotes, anything that puts the Fool back where he or she belongs, or brings out the Animal in all of us.
I've also set up a Guest Book, courtesy of Tripod. I'd be grateful if you'd take a moment to leave your name, email address and any comments. Thanks.
I want (some say need) all the help I can get.
All contributions will be gratefully received and acknowledged.