Nancy Churnin

Time travel may be the stuff of science fiction.

But it's also at the heart of what people love about Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament.

When you cross the moat into the castle, you walk into the sights, smells and sounds of 11th-century Spain. Knights in armor joust atop Andalusian steeds and toss flowers to "the fairest" of the 1,000 spectators who are digging messily with their fingers into big pewter plates overflowing with moist chicken and ribs. (A vegetarian option of a stuffed portobello mushroom with a grilled vegetable skewer, roasted potato, hummus and pita is also available.)

And yet, even here, where the company prides itself on drawing from the old, one thing is new – the two-hour show, which made its official debut last week (after a soft introduction in October 2007). Bowing to a world where more is expected in terms of romance and special effects, Medieval Times has introduced a story of a young royal couple separated when a war-mongering Green Knight kidnaps the prince, who's on a mission of peace between two kingdoms. It's all performed with a new multimillion-dollar sound and lighting system, a snow machine and original music recorded by the Czech Film Orchestra.

And the Green Knight, played with villainous relish by the thoroughly nice-in-real-life Crew Wyard, 33, of Dallas, gets a meaty speaking role – a first, thanks to a new, custom-fitted wireless microphone pack that can stay in place even during the knights' complex choreographed fights.

But rest assured, oh ye fans who fear the new and fancy; you will still find those familiar paper Medieval Times crowns to wear, as well as swordplay, falconry and horses. And then there are all those historical details – the banners, the clothing, the style of fighting – so meticulously researched that schools regularly bring their classes here during student matinees for (fun) history lessons.

Also cool for Dallas fans: The new show, 21/2 years in the making, received its finishing touches in the area. In 2007, Medieval Times moved its corporate headquarters to Irving, less than an hour from the company's Chapel Creek Ranch in Sanger, where it raises and trains its Andalusian horses (now numbering 185, 22 of which are currently expecting).

The Medieval Times company dates to 1973, when it was launched in Majorca, Spain. It built its first North American castle in Kissimmee, Fla., in 1983. Now there's a castle in Toronto and eight across the United States, including the one in Dallas that opened June 10, 1992.

But it's hard to think of a more fitting home than here, in a state known for its cowboys, which may be the closest analogue to those knights of yore.

Medieval Times is at 2021 N. Stemmons Freeway. $52.95 adults, $37.95 for ages 12 and younger. Discounts are available for groups, Scouts, schools and via promotions on the Web site. For schedule information, call 1-888-935-6878 or go to www.medievaltimes.com.

Arrive 1 hour to 11/2 hours before your meal and show. You will want to tour the castle, visit the horses and birds and get your picture taken (for an extra fee), wearing your choice of available medieval garb.

One of the cool things about Medieval Times is how it brings back the tradition of apprenticeship from way back then. A performer starts here as a squire, sometimes spending years learning how to handle the horses and serving his knight before working his way up to riding a horse and fighting

Bill Bondurant, 57, did radio for 30 years before settling in at Medieval Times, where he plays the king and helps train other performers.

For years after he started almost two decades ago, he was riding a horse and fighting, too. Now he leaves that to the younger performers, while he puts his big, booming voice to use as a royal.

"The fun part in doing the show is signing autographs," he says. "The kids' eyes get so big. It's good to be king."

Jack Mathis, 28, gets a kick out of writing down Knight as his occupation on medical forms. A graduate of Richland Community College, he began his journey with Medieval Times when he applied to be a receptionist in 1999 while an undergraduate at the University of Texas at Dallas. But when the company caught a whiff of his extensive martial arts background, it wasn't long before he was put on a horse and taught how to joust.

Like many of the performers, he alternates roles, sometimes playing a knight and sometimes the prince. It's been an unexpected career turn for a fellow who thought he would be a high school biology teacher.

But Medieval Times is where he proposed to his wife. And here is where the now father-to-be has an excuse not to cut his hair, in keeping with 11th-century tradition, of course.

"I love to keep it long," he says.

Crew Wyard, 33, loves playing the bad guy. A theater graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, he enjoys the acting opportunities offered by the knight with the biggest speaking part.

"I remember seeing a Medieval Times in Chicago when I was 15," he recalls. "I thought it was incredibly cool."

The fighting, done with real weapons, is genuinely challenging, he says.

"It can be scary if you're not working as a team with your partner."

And while he may play a bad guy onstage, offstage he bonds with the knights he battles.

"We are incredibly close," he says. "We like to go camping and boating together."

Kelley Crowder, 25, is one of the few performers who didn't have to go through an apprenticeship process. A Medieval Times manager took one look at the University of Texas at Austin graduate when she walked in the door two years ago and crowned her the princess. She's played the part ever since.

The former film major says her mother particularly likes the new show because she has a lot more lines than she did in the last one. And while Ms. Crowder likes that, too, she also enjoys the new, glittery gown that was sewn for her and the grand entrance she gets to make in each show.

"How many people get to wear a tiara to work every day?" she says. "That's a perk."