01438 880376 OR EMAIL desturner@aol.com
That's the way to do it
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LATEST
Come to the
PJF's 20th COVENT GARDEN
PUNCH AND JUDY PUPPET FESTIVAL
On SUNDAY 1st OCTOBER 2000
In the Piazza between 10.30 and 4.30pm
A dozen or more Punch and Judy booths from around Britain will be presenting continuous shows for public enjoyment.
Our member's give their services free. There will be a collection (bottle) for the Punch and Judy Fellowship which helps to keep the organisation going.
This is the perfect place for us to celebrate Punch's longevity for this impetuous puppet was born in Covent Garden in 1662. Samuel Pepys attended the birth and recorded in his diary, 'very pretty the best that I ever saw'. A plaque on the front of St. Paul's Church commemorates the fact that Punch was first seen near this spot. The Punch and Judy public house is opposite the 'actor's' church. Inside the church is a memorial plaque to Punch Professor Percy Press I. Uncrowned King of the Punch and Judy world and first to be elected to our Hall of Fame.
There is potential here to make this event into a major London festival but we do sorely need a sponsor, (any offers?) to enable us to enlarge its P&J theme with a band, parade of puppets etc. And an invitation to foreign puppet relatives of Mr. Punch to take part alongside more of our own professional shows. Please support us if you can.
Mr. Punch is our National Puppet. As British as Fish and Chips.
The Punch and Judy Fellowship is proud to be providing Punch and Judy shows at the Millennium Dome. We regret that our contract is not being extended beyond 30th September 2000 but we have enjoyed performing there. So if you want to catch Punch before he departs, get along to the LIVING ISLAND ZONE 'S seaside pitch before that date and give him a cheer.
FORGET IT!
CHARLES DICKENS LOVED PUNCH AND JUDY
He wrote:
'In my opinion the Street Punch is one of those extravagant reliefs from the realties of life which would lose its hold upon the people if it were made moral and instructive. I regard it as quite harmless in its influence and as an outrageous joke which no one in existence would think of regarding as an incentive to any kind of action or as a model for any kind of conduct . It is possible, I think, that one secret source of pleasure very generally derived from this performance, as from the more boisterous parts of a Christmas pantomime, is the satisfaction the spectator feels in the circumstances that likenesses of men and women can be so knocked about without any pain or suffering'
'The pleasure the event gave to the children and the adults attending was plain to see and certainly justified the commitment involved on both sides in bringing this new event to the people of Harrogate District.
Positive comments such as 'Good honest fun', 'Happy memories', 'Excellent fun for the family', 'A refreshing change', etc. and enjoyment experienced by approximately 2,000 people proved that the argument relating to political correctness has no sound basis. It certainly was a colourful spectacle and I have not had any negative comments only praise and requests for lots more of the same!…..It was a pleasure to be associated with the event and to work with such nice people. I enjoyed the event immensely…. I would love to have the Puppet Festival at the Sun pavilion again next year. Bigger and better of course!
FOR FULL REPORT OF THE FESTIVAL AND PICTURES GO TO 'THE PRESIDENT'S PITCH'
Mr Punch is sometimes accused of being politically incorrect and the odd council has tried to ban the show and also ban a Punch and Judy children's book. But the British public has given Mr Punch overwhelming support and prevented this from happening. Nevertheless questions are still asked and the following light-hearted answers are offered by two of our PJF committee members- Prof. Bryan Clarke and Prof. Geoff Felix.
A: Dickens had the answer- "Street Punch is one of those extravagant
reliefs from the realities of life. I regard it as quite harmless and an
outrageous joke."
Q: Does Punch encourage violence?
A: Mr Punch no more encourages violence than Goldilocks encourages
squatting.
Q; What about the stick?
A: Well the difference is that Mr Punch's stick is a slapstick. It's
specially constructed to make a slapping noise- this led to the term
'slapstick comedy'.
Q: Don't you think it's wife bashing?
A; Yes, great isn't it. Pity I can't get my wife that small. Seriously
though, no child of a Punch and Judy man has ever grown up to be
violent and they've seen hundreds of shows.
Q: Should Punch be banned?
A; Should you ban Shakespeare and the Bible?
Q; Do Punch and Judy men still use the black man in the show?
A; Do you want to ban him as well?
Q; So what about the violence?
A; It's the way you do it. If you add an element of comedy, which you
should, together with the correct timing, this makes for a traditional,
entertaining show in the slapstick style, and that's what children love.
Q; Will Mr Punch go on forever?
A; Is the Pope a Catholic and do jew's wear hats?
Q; Do you think there is too much violence on TV?
A; Responsible parents watch TV with their child and know where
the off button is located.
Q; Does Mr Punch always defy political correctness?
A; Punch has adapted to the times he lives in, but an important part of
the show is that he defies and overcomes the frustrations people feel
as represented by his opponents. He does this on behalf of the
audience.
Q; Is Punch a children's show or an adult one?
A; We're all children at heart. It's that just the bits that stick out start
to drop off after a while.
Q; Does Punch encourage people who are naturally violent?
A; Banning Punch would be like banning wine gums because there are
alcoholics in the world.
Q; What if a my child is frightened of Mr Punch?
A; How old is your child. The ideal age is six. Some children are afraid
of clowns, shadows on the wall, doctors, dentists, animals, (Anne
Widdicombe?) and strange shaped fruit. Seriously, it could be the
atmosphere of excitement or noise. We recommend showing the child
the puppets in repose and explaining what is happening.
Q; What about the critics of Mr Punch?
A; We are making puppets of them as we speak.
Q; Why do you do Punch and Judy?
A; How else can I pay for the big house and the Jag? For further
details write to...(if the cap fits, include your own address here!)
Seriously though, to hear the laughter and shouts of the audience
young or old, is pure magic.