Come and see the Lions part celebrate
St George's Day 2023
We'll be performing
The Ballad of St George and the Dragon
at
Borough Market:
Sunday 23 April at 11:15, 12:15, 1:15 and 2:15
The Ballad of St George and the Dragon,
St George in Southwark Festival.
St George and the Dragon is a story at the heart of English folklore and legend.
It has both Christian and pagan roots, telling of heroic action where good is liberated from evil.
Yet the dragon, who is the force being challenged, is also a creature of alchemical substance,
which if transformed becomes a precious and beautiful thing. Dragons have always been desired!
Our Plays
The Lions part has created two plays about St George and the Dragon.
The Ballad of St George and the Dragon,
Trafalgar Square & the Mayor's Office
“The Ballad of St George and the Dragon”
The first of our plays is the 12 minute, “Ballad of St George and the Dragon” adapted by the Lions part from a 500 year old song about St Eglamore. It tells the timeless tale of St George, depicted by us as a hapless knight who slays the dragon and then regrets it! At its centre is our flawed hero and the death and resurrection of the dragon, transformed by laughter to release its precious and immortal secrets!
Adaptable, amusing and delightful to watch, “The Ballad of St George and the Dragon” has all the hallmarks of the Lions part street theatre style. It can be altered to suit the season and has a cast of six, including one musician and a drummer.
St George and the Dragon prose play
Our second St George and the Dragon play is a 30 minute spoken piece written as a folk play hybrid with all the vibrant theatricality of the traditional English Mummers' Combat Plays. Many such plays are still performed nationwide. The text is a mixture of traditional lines from the combat plays, fused with Shakespeare, nursery rhymes, verse invented by the actors, contemporary references and bits of old alchemical tracts and dragon lore. The story unfolds with George rashly slaying the dragon, and then wishing him alive again in order to fight (or play) another day...
The play can be adapted and in the past has featured characters such as: the time-honoured Doctor of the Mumming plays, a magician, 'Tamesis', the goddess of the Thames and various embodiments of the Seasons delivered from the dragon's belly. St George has even been recast as St Georgina.
The Dragon
These photos show two dragon puppets created by the Lions part: the Water Dragon and Red Fiery Dragon. They are based on a traditional hobby horse design. Sadly our Red Dragon was lost in a fire, which seems a fitting end for a dragon!
The Water Dragon
The Ballad of St George and the Dragon,
with the Red Dragon, Shakespeare's Globe
The Lions part have performed St George at:
The Ballad of St George and the Dragon,
St George in Southwark Festival.
- Shakespeare's Globe on Shakespeare's Birthday
- Trafalgar Square for the Mayor's Office
- St George in Southwark Festival - annually 2008 - 2018
- Borough Market Food Fair and St George's Day
- Bradford City Council
- Telford Council St George's Day
- Winchester Hat Fair
- Newham City Farm Open Day
- Market Harborough Street Festival
- The Tate Fete at Tate Modern
- Mint Street Park Festival
- Peckham Town Square Festival
St George was originally developed and performed at Shakespeare's Globe as part of the Frost Fair in December 2006 when the company did 24 performances in 2 days!
BOOKING:
"The Ballad of St George and the Dragon" (12 mins) or St George and the Dragon (25 mins)Both pieces are available for events throughout the year and can be adapted to suit the season and location. Perfect for fetes, corporate events, village halls, town squares, end of the pier!
If you are interested in bringing St George to your event contact:
- Dorothy Lawrence: 07932 796094
- Email:
