Here Be Dragons: King’s Lynn goes mythical for festival

The King’s Lynn Dragon Festival will bring together some of the town’s best known cultural and heritage venues for a day of free family activities, performances, trails, games and medieval entertainment.

St George’s Guildhall will be among those taking part, opening the doors at 29 King Street where visitors can discover the latest progress on the development of Britain’s oldest working theatre and make their own dragon theatre.

Four rather larger dragons will also be waiting to be discovered.

The festival takes its inspiration from the extraordinary place dragons have occupied in history and storytelling, from medieval saints and ancient mythology to modern films, games and fantasy.

At The Minster, BOYD Theatre will stage a family dragon show at 11am and 1pm, alongside face painting and the story of St Margaret of Antioch.

Stories of Lynn will offer free museum admission, costumed characters and demonstrations of medieval weaponry, while Lynn Museum will travel through centuries of dragon history, from Roman tales and medieval badges to Victorian fairground rides.

Anyone who thinks they know King’s Lynn well can put that knowledge to the test when the King’s Lynn Town Guides lead a one-hour Dragon Hunt through the town.

At St Nicholas’ Chapel there will be archery in the churchyard and visitors can meet some rather more genuine dragons courtesy of The Animal Experience and its reptiles.

True’s Yard will have a Dragon Quest around the museum, Dungeons and Dragons taster sessions and a talk exploring the creatures from the Lernaean Hydra to Toothless.

The Workshop is promising roaring battles, riddles, charades and rapid-fire challenges overseen by its Dragonmaster, while dragon themed games will be laid out at The Dice Box.

There will also be free cinema screenings, with Pete’s Dragon at The Majestic and How to Train Your Dragon at the Corn Exchange, including free popcorn for under 18s. Tickets for the films are limited and need to be booked through the respective box offices on the day.

King’s Lynn Library will join in with storytime and crafts, while the New Cambridge Waites will take medieval music out onto the streets throughout the day.

Councillor Sue Lintern, the borough council’s Cabinet Member for Culture and Events, said: “The King’s Lynn Dragon Festival is always hugely popular and this year promises to be another fantastic day, bringing our town’s stories and heritage to life through free activities for the whole family.

“It is a brilliant example of how our cultural venues work together to create something exciting for residents and visitors alike. The festival is also part of our wider learning and engagement programme with the community, ensuring the good work of St George’s Guildhall continues while the venue is closed for its exciting renovation. I hope people of all ages will come along and enjoy everything the festival has to offer.”

Tim FitzHigham, Creative Director at St George’s Guildhall, added: “Dragons have been turning up in stories for thousands of years, which makes them rather good company for a town with as much history as King’s Lynn.

“The great thing about the festival is that the whole town gets to play with the idea. You can encounter medieval dragons, hunt for them in the streets, meet some of their living reptilian relatives, watch them on screen or make one of your own.

“At the Guildhall we will be looking at dragons through theatre as well as giving people the chance to come in and see how the development is progressing.

“It should be a wonderful day and, given the number of dragons expected around town, probably not the weekend to leave your armour at home,” he added.

Activities will take place at venues across King’s Lynn, with the majority running between 10am and 3pm.

Festival activities are free, although some sessions and cinema screenings have limited capacity and require advance or same day booking.

• For more information visit www.stgeorgesguildhall.com