"Who'd be plagued with a wife,

That could set himself free.

With a rope or a knife,

Or a good stick like me?"

 

Humans replace puppets, but the story remains the same. 

 

For the first time in the show's 350 year history, Punch and Judy combines four original scripts to show Mr Punch as he really is. Descending through playful pantomime through satire to pure horror, this was a fast-paced dark comedy brought away from the seaside and onto the stage.  

 

Not suitable for children: has it ever been?

 

CAST

PUNCH         - Giles Roberts

JUDY/

SCARAMOUCH/

JOEY THE CLOWN/

GHOST/

DOCTOR/

CONSTABLE     - Ryan Wichert

PRETTY POLLY/

TOBY THE DOG/

CROCODILE/

BANKER/

KETCH/

GHOST/

DEVIL         - Harrie Hayes

 

UNDERSTUDY    - James Thorpe-Woods

 

CREATIVES

DIRECTOR       - Katharine Armitage

WRITER         - Katharine Armitage

DESIGNER       - Oliver Willis

FIGHT DIRECTOR - Daniel Crute

CONSULTANT PROF- Geoff Barrett

STAGE MANAGER  - Matthew Armitage

ASM            - Abi Eisen

 

Our very first show and therefore one very dear to our hearts. Things have got a bit less dark and violent since then, that's not to say we won't head back in that direction some day soon...! This show crystalised the principles of the company: interesting adaptations that play on an audience's familairity with something and then surprises them. It used three actors to play all the roles usually taken by the puppets and followed Mr Punch in his descent into anarchy and murder. It also had a dancing ghost.