Mr Punch did not always have his own play; it seems his first role in England was to provide comic interludes in serious plays by interrupting the action – as and when he could! Only later did he get a wife, then called Joan, and only slowly did the plot of the Punch play as we know it today evolve.

A Punch and Judy show on the beach at Ilfracombe, 1894
© TopFoto.co.uk

The story was probably not completed until the late-18th century and the show’s heyday is seen as the early Victorian era. Lesser characters have appeared and vanished over the years and, even today, characters completely irrelevant to the story are sometimes introduced. The basic players – such as the Baby, who is a source of resentment and jealousy to Mr Punch – have remained, but some changes have been made.

The Beadle (who dealt with offenders before the invention of the police force) has become the Policeman, the black Servant was around until the 1960s, while the Hangman (usually known as Jack Ketch) began to disappear with the abolition of the death penalty.

The Crocodile is a relatively recent arrival, making his debut about a century ago. He may owe his popularity to JM Barrie’s Peter Pan, which sees Captain Hook being followed about by the crocodile who has eaten his hand.

The Clown, usually named Joey, is the only character who is really Mr Punch’s friend, while the Doctor is called to treat Mr Punch after the crocodile attack.

The Ghost still appears. Originally the Ghost of Judy, it now tends to be the ghost of one of the other characters Mr Punch has killed – or any old ghost! The Devil, once an essential character, is now rarely seen, the Crocodile having taken his place. Scaramouche, a figure with an extending neck, Hector the hobbyhorse, the Blind Man and Mr Punch’s love interest, Pretty Polly, have mostly disappeared.

The Boxers and Chinese Plate Spinners are modern additions but have no place in the story as such. The Courtier, a second Police Officer, a pair of Undertakers, an Irishman and a Sailor have also bitten the dust, and, since they played such minor parts in the story, are not missed.

See Punch and Judy man John Styles introducing his puppets here.

The Punch play we know today is far removed from the commedia dell ’arte, Eastern or classical origins. The traditional rough buffoonery of Old England has overtaken, moulding Mr Punch, and building around him the famous comedy which has made him an English icon.

A carved Hangman puppet
© courtesy Tony and Bryan Clarke

The broad outline of the Punch and Judy show has remained the same for more than 100 years, but each performer tells the story in his or her own way. True Punch and Judy men adapt their show to the spirit of the age. For example, one Victorian showman said that his audiences had become too refined and wanted the Ghost and the Coffin dropped from the show.

Today’s audiences have no problem with the Ghost or Coffin because society’s concerns are different. Also, Victorian Punch and Judy men were aiming their wit at an adult audience, whereas today the show is for children.

When the story was being developed, there would have been a great deal of sympathy for Mr Punch. Today, however, changing attitudes to marriage and family life have seen the story modified although the general pattern stays the same.

The first modern-day attempt to have Punch and Judy banned was back in 1947, when Middlesex Council objected to the brutal nature of its storyline as being unsuitable for young children. The ruling was swiftly reversed.

In 1999, a similar attempt was made by the chairwoman of Colchester Council’s arts and leisure committee. This led to much hilarity, and the councillor in question found herself portrayed unflatteringly in local Punch professor Adrian Hutson’s show.

The Policeman used to be known as the Beadle
© courtesy Mark Poulton

Five years later, Ronnie Alden was stopped from performing a Punch and Judy show at a primary school in Shropshire after the school said it was too violent for five- and six-year-olds. Also in 2004, Bodmin Council endorsed a complaint that said the show was too brutal, despite a video of a Punch and Judy show being given a U certificate by the Censorship Board in 1994, meaning it is suitable for everyone over the age of about four.

Nevertheless, Punch and Judy shows appear to be growing in popularity once again. These days children watch far more violent cartoons and most parents are coming round to the fact that it is simply good, old-fashioned fun.