Context:

Location: Underwood, Nottinghamshire, England (SK4750)
Year: Perf. 1935 and 1936
Time of Occurrence: Christmas
Collective Name: Guysers

Source:

B.L.Hodgkinson
The Guysers as Performed in the Underwood District 36 Years ago in 1935 and 1936, I took part in them
P.T.Millington Collection, 16th Jan.1972

Cast:

Text:

Opener In

I open the door and enter in,
And beg your pardon to begin,
But whether we stand sit or fall,
We'll do our duty to please you all.
Room, room brave gallants,
Come give us room,
For in this room we wish to resort,
And repeat to you our merry rhyme,
For remember good sir's I is Christmas time.
The time took cut goose pie and pork turkey now doth appear,
And we have come to act our merry Christmas here.
At the sound of the trumpet, at the beat of the drum,
Brave Gallants let our merry actors come.
We are the merry actors who travel the street.
We are the merry actors who fight for our meet.
We are the merry actors who show pleasant play.
Step in Saint George our champion and clear the way.

Saint George

I am Saint George from Olde England sprung,
My famous name throughout the world has rung.
Many brave deeds and wonders I have made known.
I have made tyrants tremble on their throne.
Twas I who followed a fair maid, to a Giants gate,
Confined in dundgeon, deep, to meet her fate,
When I resolved in true knight errantry,
To burst the door and set the prisoner free,
When a giant almost struck me dead,
But by my valour I cut off his head.
I searched this world all round and round,
A man my equal, I've never found.

{Enter Slasher}

Slasher

I am a gallant soldier and "Slasher" is my name,
With sword and buckler by my side,
I hope to win the game,
And for to fight with thee,
I see thou art not able,
For with my sword, will soon with thee disable.

Saint George

Stand back Slasher, and let no more be said,
For if I use my sword, will soon cut off thy head.

Slasher

How can'st thou cut off my head
My head is made of iron.
My body of steel,
My hand and feet of knuckle bone.
I'll challenge you to feel.

{They fight and Saint George mortally wounds Slasher}

{Enter Slasher's Father}

Slasher's Father

Oh George, what hast thou done?
Thou's killed and slain my only son.
Here he lies in the presence of you all,
And willingly a doctor call.
A doctor, Ten pounds for a doctor.

{Enter Doctor}

Slasher's Father

Are you a Doctor?

Doctor

Yes that you may plainly see,
By my true heart, and activity.

Slasher's Father

How far have you travelled in doctorship?

Doctor

England, Ireland, France and Spain,
Over the Alps and back again.

Slasher's Father

What diseases can you cure?

Doctor

The hitch, the stitch, the palsy and the gout,
If a man's got 19 devils in his skull,
I can cast 20 out and leave one to breed.
But Jack take a sup out of this bottle,
And let it run down thy throttle,
And if thy not quite slain,
Arise Jack and fight again.

Slasher

Oh my back!

Doctor

What's a matter with thy back?

Slasher

My back is wounded,
My heart is confounded.
Farewell Saint George, I can no longer stay,
Down yonder lies my way.

{Enter Belzebub}

Belzebub

In comes our old Belzebub,
Over my shoulder I carry a club,
In my hand a dripping pan,
Don't you think I am a jolly old man?
If you don't, I do.
A rink chink, chink, and sup more drink,
We'll the old kettle sound dry,
If you think I am a fool has got no sense,
Put your hand in your pocket and give us a few pence.

Little Devil Doubt

In come Little Devil Doubt,
With my breeches turned inside out.
If you think I am a fool and got no sense,
Put your hand in your pocket and give a few pence.

{Entire company sings We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year.}

Notes:

"I have not seen the Guysers performed for years. It seems to be one of the traditions that are dying out.
Yours faithfully
B.L.Hodgkinson
P.S. The Guysers required very little in the way of costumes, etc.
It required training about 1 night a week in somebody's shed or kitchen for about a month, before Xmas."

File History:

1998-09-04 - Entered by Peter Millington
2021-01-15 - TEI-encoded by Peter Millington

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