Full house in Littleborough for the traditional Easter Pace Egg

Pace Egg at Littleborough Coach House

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The annual Pace Egg at Littleborough Coach House was performed to a full house on Good Friday.

The Curtain Theatre actors performed a unique rendition of the traditional Easter play, ad-libbing with lots of innuendo.

Pace-egging is an old Easter begging custom dating back centuries. By performing a ‘play’, the poor of the parish could attach some moral legitimacy to asking for money (otherwise illegal), i.e. they were giving entertainment in return for alms.

The audience saw brave St George slay Bold Slasher, before the doctor resurrected him with the seemingly-magical medicinal contents of a bottle of Black Sheep Ale. He then saw off the Black Prince of Paradine, before felling Hector, fighting on behalf of the King of Egypt.

Beelzebub – bearing more than a slight resemblance to Slipknot vocalist, Corey Taylor – invoked Little Devil Doubt, whose plea for money did not fall on deaf ears, as the troupe took a collection for Springhill Hospice. 

The performance was introduced by The Fool and his drum, before an Easter egg raffle was drawn.

A spokesperson for the Coach House Trust said: “We never charge entry for this performance, as the Curtain Theatre players give their time for free in aid of the Springhill Hospice. We are very grateful to them as the play is very popular each year. We hope we have raised lots of money for the Hospice.”

Stuart Forbes, who played the gallant St George, said: “I used to be involved in the Pace Egg in Wardle about 30 years ago. Some versions of the play have a dragon, but it’s all good fun.”