'The Story of St George' performed by Time Will Tell Theatre. - Video and audio transcripts

The video opens with text saying ‘The story of Saint George’

The video then transitions into the corner of a castle chamber in a state of dilapidation. there is a table and stool and as we look a figure is in shot. They are wearing a monk’s robe and a cloak. They have mittens and a coif. They sit down and start to look through the papers as the camera moves in. They look up.

The Figure speaks: “Oh. Hello. You found me then. Well done! I haven't had company here in a long while. I prefer to keep myself to myself. I thought people have forgotten when I lived here

“Perhaps that is what I was hoping for.

“I'm trying to write my life story it's very difficult. If you were going to write your life story where would you begin? Your birth? Logical. For me that's a problem you see I don't know when or where I was born. Some people say Cappadocia others say Coventry

“But you don't want to know about that do you?

“You want to know the legend. What is it they call it now? The golden legend. I'll be happy to tell you. It was in Africa. The north coast. I was riding early one morning to the town of Silene. Silene is easy to find because the town walls stand next to a great lake as I was approaching the town, I could see in the distance a young lady, nobly dressed, standing beside the entrance to a cave.

“Later people claimed that she was tied to a stake, but she was very brave that's not my recollection she was there of her own free will. I rode over to see if I could offer her any assistance when suddenly I heard something deep beneath the ground. Noise coming from the mouth of the cave something, something slithering, scratching, something huge. The young lady cried out to me to save myself to ride away but it was too late. From the mouth of the cave, deep within the bowels of the earth, there emerged a dragon.

“Blinked in the sunlight. Fixed its gaze upon the young lady and licked its lips and I knew in that instant that the dragon meant to make her its next meal.

“I've never seen a dragon before. It was huge. It was as tall as four full-grown men Its leather wings, when they stretched, blotted out the sun. It had cruel claws that could crush rocks. Its teeth were razor sharp and its body was covered in great thick leathery scales and I can see upon them the marks of swords and axes where they have struck but they've been unable to get through.

“It had great red horns from its nostrils it belched stinking poisonous fumes.

“The worst of all. Its eyes. They were red as blood and they stared at me full of hatred. As the dragon looked at me it advanced. Gnashing its teeth and hissing.

“Now when I was a soldier, I was taught that if you come up against a new enemy to study them to look for their strengths and weaknesses. Ah the dragon’s strengths they were obvious but its weaknesses...

“I had though the advantage of speed. So, I spurred my horse on. We rode around the dragon as I sought out a weak spot. The dragon lunged at me with his head trying to spit poison at me or to knock me from the saddle with his teeth or or swing its claws at me to try to wrench me from the saddle and tear me apart.

“I felt like the fight lasted for hours but in truth it might only have been a few minutes I could feel that my horse was starting to tire I knew that I must act and act quickly it was now or never. I looked at the dragon again and I saw something. A place in its belly where one of its scales had come away and I could see the dragon's flesh beneath, so I counted my lungs, ascalon under my arm. I spurred on my horse and I charged as the dragon rear up to beat at me with its wings. I thrust my spear point into the dragon's belly. I thrust it with all my strength. The dragon gave out a great and terrifying cry and it collapsed into the sand.

“I immediately rode over to the young noble lady and I begged of her, her girdle, the belt that she wore around her middle. I fashioned one end into a loop which I put around the dragon's neck and I passed the other end back to her. As soon as she held it in her hand it was as if all the dragon's power was gone.

“She was able to lead the dragon on this lead. The dragon was as meek as a kitten. She led it back through the gates of Silene. She led it through the streets of the town, through crowds of silent townsfolk who were amazed and astounded. All the way to the steps of the royal palace where her father, the king, lived. Well, you can imagine she told me the story of the dragon on the way. She told me how a year earlier the dragon had appeared, it had swung up from the dark depths of the lake and it had terrorized the townsfolk. They had offered it food to try to satisfy its appetite. First of all, their sheep but after six months they ran out. Then their cows and then they ran out of cows and then the dragon indicated that it would be satisfied only with the children of Silene. So, the townspeople, under the direction of the king, had a lottery. The first child to be selected was the king's own daughter. The princess.

“You can imagine after a year of living in such terror with the dragon now as their prisoner the town's people were not in a mood to be merciful.

“See this? One of the dragon's horns it was it was given to me as a parting gift. I had it fashioned into a drinking vessel.

“I left Silene behind and continued upon my way. I've visited many lands across many seas, and I had many many adventures.

“Some say that after my travels I found my way to England and came here to Caledon Castle which was only right because I was returning to my birthplace. There are others who say that I married the princess of Silene, and we had a family and amongst them a fine son who grew up to be Sir Guy of Warwick.

“That's just my version of the story. I do know that I was made a saint. King Edward, the third king to bear that noble name, decided that I should be patron saint of England which was a great honour I was already patron saint of Venice, Genoa, Ethiopia, Bulgaria, Brazil, Portugal, Russia and Georgia. Saint George. Oh, I was also guardian of all soldiers. So, I stay here now, and I wait. In case the land ever finds itself in danger again.

“Now if you and family here there must be some danger. Has a dragon returned to England? Is it a descendant of the dragon that I fought all those years ago? Has it come back here seeking me out looking for revenge? Because if it has, I must make myself ready.”

G stands and takes off his monk’s robes to reveal his armour and a tabard underneath. He takes up his sword.

 He then says: “Right I'm ready. Are you with me?!”

G exits from frame.