No two performances are alike
The retired puppeteer Pat seemed perfect for what I needed- a local female Punch and Judy performer with the right voice. I approached her and explained the story I was writing in my mind. After outlining it to her, she told me that what I was about to write would be very powerful stuff.
Was I prepared to be questioned about my experience with Punch and Judy? I wasn't! I hadn't seen many Punch and Judy shows. I knew, like most people, that they were all different because the script itself is never written down for anyone to repeat. Traditionally, Punch and Judy are like their counterpart Commedia dell Arte whose plays change with the times and the political views. They carry "the news" to their audiences everywhere they go. And so does Punch and Judy.
Puppeteers have been using similar characters for centuries, dating back to Commedia dell'arte. When Mad Cow disease was in the news, Professor Brian made the statement on his show that Mr. Punch wouldn't eat beef sausages. This made front page news for him locally. However, after researching lots of different stories from various puppeteers, I discovered that they all had the same stock characters.
Mr. Punch, Judy, and Baby, of course, plus Scaramouche and his little dog Toby, who for many years would be a real dog, a black puppet who loved to sing and dance, a clown, a devil, a doctor and an executioner or hangman, plus a policeman or equivalent through the ages representing authority figure – Oh yes, and not forgetting the crocodile. Everyone else depended on the latest news or celebrity.
I searched for a long time to see a full show online without any success until I came across one in Adelaide Australia ‘Prestons Historic Punch and Judy’
Part 1 https://youtu.be/a-yPfrcS2Zo
