Has political correctness beaten Punch and Judy

asked PhilD

A. The traditional Punch and Judy script is sexist, violent. lawless and terribly politically incorrect.

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Q. How so

A. Punch beats up his wife, throws the baby down the stairs, steals sausages and hangs the policeman.

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Q. So, has it been banned from our beaches

A. Some local councils have banned the show, but it lives on in many seaside towns and fairgrounds across the country. The storyline has been toned down following pressure from the politically correct lobby. However, the show's demise is more as a result of the lack of financial rewards to be gained from putting on shows nowadays, rather than a bow to politcal correctness.

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Q. Is Mr Punch a bad influence on our children

A. His supporters claim that he is nothing more than a bit of harmless fun and will cause no more harm to our children than a dose of Tom and Jerry.

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Q. How did it all begin

It is thought that the tradition was first introduced to this country by Italian puppeteer Pietro Gimonde around 1660. Samuel Pepys, in his diary, records seeing an 'Italian puppet play... the best I ever�saw.' The main character of Gimonde's shows was a lovable rogue called Pulcinelia, he had a hunchback and a wicked sense of humour and is�likely to have evolved into Mr Punch.

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Q. Have the puppets changed much since then

A. Initally the puppets used were marionettes, but these had to be operated by several people and the strings were soon replaced by the more economical one-man hand puppet show around 1790. Also, Judy was originally called Joan. Other characters introduced around this time included Toby the Dog, the Baby, the Doctor, the Clown, Hector the Horse and the Crocodile.

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Q. Have they always been associated with the beach

A. The first Punch and Judy shows were performed at fairgrounds, but they moved to the beach when the bucket and spade holiday became popular.

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Q. Where can I catch a show this summer

A. In 1997 the Punch and Judy College of Professors was set up to mark the 325 anniversary of the first historical record of the show. The college website has full details of where you can catch Punch and Judy Shows around the country. To see the schedule, click here.

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By Anna Tobin