I usually
make Joey the Clown the friend of the audience. He makes fun of Punch.
His job is to lighten up things and counteract Punch's previous "successes".
It is always a good idea to keep a note of children in the audience who
are extra noisy, the name of the person whose birthday it may be or anybody's
name someone may call out.
Joey is particulary good at ducking and dodging. The puppet is performed almost as though it is spring loaded. The amount of this sort of business is detirmined by audience reaction.
[Mr Punch dances about with his stick. While doing so up comes Joey the clown behind him and taps him on the back. Mr Punch spins around but Joey quickly pops down again.]
Punch: What
was that? [To the audience on one side of the theatre] Was that you?
(If while performing the show you happen to hear someone’s name
mentioned you can use their name during this sequence.) Joey pops up
behind and bops Punch on the head again. Punch goes over to the other
side of the stage and looks around the curtain. Joey pops up on the
otherside of the booth and waves to the audience and then ducks down
again. Punch goes over to see who's there. Joey pops back up behind
him again, waves to the audience and ducks down again. When Punch spins
around this time he waves at Punch
Joey: Hello Mr Punch, it’s me Joey the clown. [Turns to the audience] Hello everybody! I’m Mr Punch’s friend Joey the clown and I've come here to have lunch with Mr Punch. [Punch creeps up behind him and swings with his stick but Joey once again dodges his blow] How do you do Mr Punch? Are you hungry?
Punch: [Who was about to take another swing at Joey.] Oh yes.
Joey: Well Mr Punch I’ve got some sausages down stairs. I''ll go down and get them.
[Joey pops down while Punch puts down his stick. Joey returns with a string of four sausages]
Joey: Look Mr Punch I’ve got four lovely sausages here. One for you, one for me, one for (name of someone in the audience) and one for dessert. [He hands the sausages to Punch] You look after them while I go down to get the frying pan. [Pops down and then straight back again.] Now Mr Punch don’t eat any of the sausages while I’m gone. [To the audience] Now you see to it that Punch doesn’t eat the sausages. Won’t you everybody? [Pops down.]
Punch: Four
lovely sausages I think I’ll eat them all right now. Shall I have
a sausage?
[Audience shouts and Joey pops back up.]
Joey: Now Mr Punch. Don’t eat the sausages. Promise now.
Punch: [Nodding his head] No, no me promise. [Joey exits. Punch looks about.] Has he gone? Me very hungry.