20 reasons why Britain should be proud of Punch on 9th May 2012
[Mr Punch: ‘That’s the way to do it!’ Picture by Tim Kirman]
May 2012 marks the 350th birthday of a British icon – Mr. Punch of Punch and Judy fame.
Punch has contributed so much to British culture and the art of puppeteering. For instance, did you know that puppeteering is now part of the national curriculum? This can really help children to improve their art, communication and language skills.
Furthermore, they can improve their history skills by learning a little about the history of Punch and Judy shows.
Hopefully, grown-ups will also enjoy the 20 fascinating facts about Britain’s most famous stick-bearing warring couple.
1. It is thought that Punch first popped up in Italy but Britain has claimed the large-nosed puppet for its own. The Punch and Judy Fellowship website states: “Many other European countries have their own variants on the show, but none as good or successful as ours.”
2. Samuel Pepys recorded the first evidence of Punch’s presence on English shores on 9th May 1662. The famous London diarist stumbled upon Punch at a puppet show in Covent Garden. Pepys’ view of the show was that it was “very pretty, the best that I ever saw”.
3. You could easily pick out Punch at a police identification parade: he is a hunchback with a large nose and chin which often curves at the same angle as his spine. He also has a tasselled hat and wears red and yellow jester’s clothes which can be as shiny as a racehorse jockey’s uniform.
4. Punch’s home is a booth which has red and white stripes just like the markings on a seaside stick of candy. His master is a ‘Professor’: the person inside the booth who pulls Punch’s strings as he spars with his enemies.
5. The person who collected donations from audience members during Punch and Judy shows was called a ‘bottler’.
6. King Charles II was said to be a big fan of the early Punch and Judy shows. The flamboyant monarch is said to have regularly taken in a performance while visiting Covent Garden en route to his mistress Nell Gwyn’s nearby house. Punch also has a mistress – Pretty Polly.
7. One can well imagine King Charles laughing at Punch’s “that’s the way to do it” catchphrase as he killed time in London. Professors produce Punch’s rasping voice by putting a device called a ‘swazzle’ in their mouth.
8. It is tradition for the curtain to draw back to reveal Mr Punch and his wife Judy kissing, dancing and acting happily together. Then Judy asks Punch to look after the baby, a task of which Punch often proves incapable. Judy’s outrage at this will often provoke Punch into producing his stick at which point a busy-body policeman will appear on the scene.
9. Other characters during performances include The Crocodile, The Clown, The Hangman, and The Devil. Shows aimed at children often omit the more frightening characters.
10. A character called The Doctor often appears, to treat Punch’s injuries. His bedside manner is slightly unusual; he normally favours beating Punch with a stick.
11. The phrases ‘pleased as punch’ and ‘proud as punch’ owe their existence to Punch’s belief that he is always in the right, a belief which is strengthened by the fact that he normally triumphs before the curtain comes down at the end of a show.
12. In 1841, a humorous political magazine called Punch was first published and took its name from the puppet. Punch closed in 2002.
13. Also in 1841, Charles Dickens’ novel The Old Curiosity Shop featured two Punch and Judy professors: Mr. Codlin and Short Trotters.
14. During the Second World War, many Punch performances saw the show’s star take on and beat Hitler.
15. The 1963 film The Punch and Judy Man starred comedian Tony Hancock as unhappily-married P & J man Wally Pinner. The film, which also featured Dad’s Army’s John Le Mesurier and Carry On legend Hattie Jacques, ends with a room full of dinner guests fighting, mirroring the slap-stick conclusion of a Punch and Judy show.
16. Nine episodes of the 1960s Batman TV series featured characters called Punch and Judy – villains who try to help The Joker overcome the Caped Crusader.
17. Popular television sitcom Hi-di-Hi, which aired in the 1980s and was set in the 1950s, featured a character called Mr. Partridge: a drunken Punch & Judy man whose performances often descended into anarchy. Punch and Judy shows were very popular at the types of seaside holiday camp depicted in Hi-de-Hi.
18. Punch and Judy were among the list of the first 12 icons of England produced by the Portrait of England project. The couple took their place among other icons such as Stonehenge, the Routemaster Bus, the King James Bible and a cup of tea.
19.The Punch and Judy Fellowship has comedian Ken Dodd as its patron. The fellowship’s website states: “Punch is part of our national psyche. Without Punch and his little show, life would be a little greyer.”
20. In 2001, Punch was honoured in the UK with a set of commemorative postage stamps featuring famous characters from the shows.
Sources:
http://www.thepjf.com/history_of_punch_and_judy.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punch_and_Judy
http://www.puppetsandpandemonium.co.uk/id18.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4952920.stm
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