A rare manuscript, dating back to the 15th century and held in the National Library of Scotland, sheds new light on medieval comedy shows. The Heege manuscript provides, for the first time, insight into the forgotten tradition of English minstrel acts. The text was transcribed by tutor Richard Heege in the English Midlands region, around 1480. It was believed that Heege copied the acts from memory, used by the minstrel who performed near the Derbyshire-Nottinghamshire border. The minstrel act involved comic performances, crafting sophisticated stories, and good poetry, debunking the tales of chivalry we commonly associate with medieval minstrelsy. Lead author of the study, James Wade of Cambridge University, describes the minstrel as highly capable and funny. “It’s a comedy feast,” he adds.
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