Sun, Sea, Sand & Puppetry
Yes, Punch and Judy shows are as synonymous with the seaside as laughing children, fish and chips and flocks of greedy gulls. And as 2012 marks the 350th birthday of Mr Punch, I went to meet Paul Wheeler, professional Punch and Judy puppeteer and expert in one of the rockiest marriages in history.
Mr Punch, like many of our British traditions – tea, Christmas trees – did not originate in Britain. In fact, he came from Italy and first put down roots here in 1662, in a performance in Covent Garden, which was recorded by diarist Samuel Pepys.
But it was during the Victorian era that Punch and Judy (perhaps best known for their domestic scuffles) evolved into the characters we know today. Originally, the notoriously violent shows were aimed at adults, but the Victorians found a new audience for the colourful performances in children, who watched the shows in the now-familiar seaside booths covered in red-and-white-striped cloth. While Mr Punch was still spectacularly rude and notoriously inefficient at childcare, he had become 'slapstick' (a term born from his large stick, which he uses to wallop the other characters). The shows became less violent and more humorous and Victorian children loved them.
I watch Paul Wheeler's Punch and Judy show, soaking up the laughter and applause, and it seems that Mr Punch and his long-suffering wife are as popular as ever with children and adults alike. As Paul later explains: 'Children enjoy it because it's fun, and adults can hark back to their childhood and family holidays; back to simpler, plainer past decades.'
As a child, Paul saw Punch shows on family holidays to Weston-super-Mare and Weymouth. He was even lucky enough to see Michael Byrom, a prolific writer on all things Punch, at Paignton. That sparked o an interest that resulted in the young Paul performing Punch and Judy shows for his family and friends.
'On holidays I would watch Punch and Judy shows for hours. I loved it, so my grandparents and my dad made me a booth and I used to perform in the back garden with the puppets they bought me,' he says.
Paul started performing professionally in 2005, and in 2007 was given full membership of The Punch & Judy Fellowship, making him a Professor of Puppetry. Since then he has been entertaining families on Weston-super-Mare's Grand Pier and gives charity performances, with all donations going to help local causes.
But how would I fare putting on my own Punch and Judy show? I'd need a little help from Paul, of course. Well, the hardest thing to master is the 'swazzle', the reed-like mouth instrument that is used of the puppets right is also hugely important. Paul admits that it took him hours and hours of practise to perfect it.
Paul is certainly a very talented puppeteer, but I think it will take more than an afternoon to get my show ready and my efforts are rather chaotic. I don't think I'll be the next big name on the Punch and Judy scene. Still, Paul gives me his top tips – just in case I do decide to change my career path in the future.
'Watch as many shows as you can, ask as many questions as you can, and persevere. Do not give up. If you make the audience laugh and hold a crowd and they leave with a smile on their face, it's job done'
Well, I think the audience left with a collective smile on their faces after my show – even if it could have been amusement at my unimpressive attempts. Oh, well. I'm sure I'll wow them next time.
PUNCH LINES
- Punch and Judy were originally known as Pulcinella and Joan.
- In the 17th century, Charles II was a regular visitor to Covent Garden, which was home to his mistress, Nell Gwynn. It is said that after enjoying Punch and Judy shows there the king passed a Royal Decree allowing Punch and Judy men to call themselves 'Professor'.
- Mr Punch was originally a marionette puppet show (controlled from above by strings) before he became a hand puppet.
- In a government initiative to create a definitive list of British icons, Punch and Judy were named among the first 12 icons of England, along with double-decker buses, Sherlock Holmes and the bowler hat.
- In recent years, political correctness campaigners have called for a ban on Punch and Judy and threatened the future of the shows in some seaside towns, with mixed success.
From The Lady Archive
Mr Punch is no stranger to the pages of The Lady. In our 24 December 1970 issue, Hope Hannyngton traced the history of Mr Punch, or Pulcinella as he was called, back to Italy: 'His forebears were Italian immigrants in the 17th century.'
She goes on to say how Mr Punch was created when a group of travelling actors visited a small village in Italy and were unimpressed by the hospitality the peasants offered. To get even they created Punch, or Pulcinella, which was intended to caricature the peasants as clownish and half-witted.
Mr Punch appears in The Lady once again in 3 August 1972 issue, where Patricia M Klijn shares some splendid pictures of Mr Punch in action.
And still Mr Punch and the long-suffering Judy are entertaining both children and our readers.