Context:

Location: Selston, Nottinghamshire, England (SK4553)
Year: Perf. 1932
Time of Occurrence: [Not given]
Collective Name: Bull Guys, Bull Guysering, The house to house players

Source:

L.Clarke
Bull Guysers' Play from Selston
P.T.Millington Collection, 11th Feb.1992, L.Clarke

Cast:

Text:

Opener

I open the door, I enter in,
I beg your pardon to begin
Whether I stand, sit, or fall,
I'll do my duty to please you all,
and if you dont believe these words I say,
Step in Bull Guy and clear the way.

{Enter Bull Guy}

Bull Guy

In comes Bull Guy my name is Guy,
My body of brass, my arms of steel
my hands of knuckle bone,
No man can make me feel

{Enter St George}

St George

I am St George the dragon killer.
Cant I make thee feel?

Bull Guy

No

St George

Stand back, stand back thou dirty dog,
I'll make thy buttons fly.
I'll fill thy belly full of brass,
and thou will surely die

Bull Guy

Shall I die?

St George

Yes

{Duel commences and Guy falls wounded}

Opener

Oh George Oh George, what has thou done
thou's gone and slain my only son
my only son lies bleeding there,
send for a doctor

{Enter Doctor}

Doctor

In comes Doctor Brown,
the noblest doctor in the town

Opener

And how became thou a doctor

Doctor

By my travels sir

Opener

And what are thy travels?

Doctor

Ickeldy Pickeldy France & Spain
over the hills and back again.
As I was walking down the lane
I saw five guiney pigs run up a drain
and I pulled ten down

Opener

Well for how much will you cure this man?

Doctor

Five pounds being as hes a poor man ten

Opener

Well cure him then

[Doctor]

Here Jack take a sip of this nick nack
and let it run down thy tick tack
arise and fight St George again

{Bull Guy stands}

{Enter Mrs Gent}

Mrs Gent

In comes Mrs Gent
if you dont give me some money
I cant pay mi rent

Belzy Bubb

IN COMES BELZY BUBB
OVER MY SHOULDER I CARRY MY CLUB
IN MY HAND A DRIPPING PAN.
DONT YOU THINK IM A JOLLY OLD MAN
IF YOU DONT I DO.

{All together sing}

[All]

Weve come to steal your old black hen,
Your old black hen, your old black hen
Weve come to steal your old black hen
upon a sunday morning
She lays three eggs on every day,
on every day on every day
She lays three eggs on every day
and on a sunday four

{Anyone with cap for collection}

[Anyone]

My fathers a cobbler my mothers a weaver
If youve got any money Im the receiver

{Collection and end.}

Notes:

"Bull Guysering as I was taught by my/our fathers and Grandfathers sixty years ago, and traced back by a friend to the sixteen hundreds at least. Then they were know as The house to house players, and were performed as so.
It was customary to turn our coats inside out, black our faces with soot from up the chimney. Turn our caps back to front. Borrow Mams copper stick for a club, and also Mams dripping tin, and use sticks for the swords. Manys the time weve had black earholes at school next day. Bull Guys was an heritage and must kept on record. any moneys acquired shared equally. Les Clarke (Selston)"

File History:

1994-12-26 - Entered by Peter Millington
1997-03-25 - File named by Peter Millington
1998-09-04 - Entered by Peter Millington
2021-01-15 - TEI-encoded by Peter Millington

Extras:

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