GREAT NEWS!
I sent a hardcopy of "Joan - Put on a Happy Face" to Queen Camilla earlier in 2025
I'd heard how she supports those suffering abuse in the home and felt she might be interested in how the most iconic traditional seaside puppet show 'Punch and Judy', famous for it's frying pan scene of Judy hitting Mr Punch, came about.
These days when people think of Punch and Judy, they think of the violence portrayed in the shows. What they don't remember is the message that Judy is giving out
"Speak out when you see Mr Punch being naughty or hitting baby" she calls to the audience.
Violence is not normal. Should never be accepted as normal. If anyone sees or knows about anyone being violent to their partner (or children) they should tell someone. Not hide it in shame or fear of consequences... and THAT is what Punch and Judy try to get across.
My story tells how Joan, a spirited young woman, falls for a charismatic travelling actor ten years her senior, her father challenges the suitor to win her hand. Against the odds, love triumphs—and so begins a marriage filled with passion, hardship, and the unpredictable rhythm of a touring life. As Joan navigates motherhood and the strain of her husband’s absences, Joan begins to perform a puppet show for her baby boy. Her puppets bring father and son together so that they can say goodnight to one another. They can talk, share adventures, and resolve arguments through her puppet-play.
Joan eventually has help in the form of her cousin Polly, a gentle soul the child affectionately calls “Pretty Polly.”
As Joan’s family sets sail for England, they are caught up in a violent clash that leaves them gravely wounded. Offered a mysterious elixir to heal, they accept... unaware that its true power is immortality. Then a mistaken kiss at a royal coronation shatters the fragile harmony and Polly flees, embarrassed and ashamed.From medieval Italy, through revolutions and royal jubilees, to modern day England, Joan’s family lives on—witnessing centuries of change while grappling with the cost of eternal life. By 1979, their story has become legend... but Joan still wears a happy face.
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