Punch and Judy is a famous puppet show in Great Britain, whose two main characters are Punch and his Judy wife. It is composed of short scenes in which Punch interacts with another character. Traditionally, the spectacle is carried out by only one marionnettist, is called Professor , which is thus able to control two puppets at the same time.

Scenario

Taken jealousy, Punch decides to strangle its baby. Judy runs to save it, and strikes Punch with a club until the latter, exasperated, collects in its turn a club and strikes his wife until killing it. It throws then the two bodies out of the house, which draws the attention of a police officer. Punch is run away but is finally stopped by the Enquiry which throws it in prison. He however manages to escape thanks to a gilded key. The remainder of the history is a Allégorie showing how Punch manages to triumph over the evils of the flesh: he triumphs thus over the Trouble (incarnated by a dog), Illness (disguised as a doctor), Death and even of the Devil.

Characters

Punch

Punch is uneven equipped as a buffoon, and its hooked nose touches almost its chin. It carries a stick as large as him, as it uses with its liking on the other characters. It has a raucous voice produced using an instrument called swazzle or swatchel that the Professor puts in its mouth.

A famous counterpart of Punch is: " That' S the way to C it! " (It is as that which should be done!)

History

The spectacle of Punch and Judy draws its origins from the Italian Commedia dell' arte . The characters of Punch and Judy derive from those of Pulcinello and Joan.

The first report written on the spectacle of Punch and Judy dated May 9th, 1662. Its author, the diarist Samuel Pepys, attended the one of the spectacles close to St Paul' S Church in Covent Garden in London. The spectacle was carried out by Italian of the name of Pietro Gimonde, and was called Signor Bologna.

The first transcription of the spectacle dates from the years 1840 and is in the book London Labor and the London Poor of Henry Mayhew.

Nowadays, the majority of the spectacles of Punch and Judy are carried out along the beaches during the summer holidays.

Similar spectacles in the other countries

• Germany: Kasperletheater, with Kasper and Grete
• Denmark: Mester Jackel
• France: Puppet
• Italy: Pulcinello (Punchinello), and Pulcinella
• Netherlands: Jan Klaassen
• Romania: Vasilache
• Russia: Petruschka

Remarks

In animated the Cowboy Bebop, the two presenters of the emission Big Shots are called Punch and Judy.

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