Punch and Judy celebrate 350 years
Punch and Judy puppeteers gather from across the globe in London’s Covent Garden, where the famous slapstick puppets were first recorded to have performed.
He’s violent, rude and certainly not politically correct. But Mr Punch is celebrating 350 years as a mainstay of British entertainment.
The landmark birthday is to make the first recorded mention of Punch – by Samuel Pepys, the naval official and diarist, who wrote in his diary of a performance he saw in Covent Garden in 1662.
Outside St Paul’s Church, Pepys said he saw “an Italian puppet play that is within the rayles there, which is very pretty, the best that I ever saw”.
The Italian origins of Punch and his wife Judy, originally called Joan, are thought to date back to early 17th century.
Punch was known as Punchinella in the Neapolitan Commedia dell’arte, but once in Britain the Italian ending to his name was dropped and he became known as Punch.
Puppeteers say the show is proving more popular than ever, especially in thie Diamond Jubilee year.
Professor Glyn Edwards, who has been performing Punch for fifty years, told Channel 4 News: “We have more here gathered, than ever at one time”.
This week Punch and Judy performers, known as Professors, alongside clowns and other performers will gather in Covent Garden to celebrate the history of the famous double act.
