Punch and Judy: the other characters

Two other characters figure in most shows : the Clown (Joey, named after Joseph Grimaldi, an early 19th century clown) and the Crocodile. Both these puppets steal and/or eat Punch's string of sausages.

Some shows include a Judge (mentioned in my song), a Doctor, and Punch's girlfriend Pretty Polly (from the Beggars' Opera).

Events involving these figures all add to or form part of the main narrative but can be used or dropped as the showman decides.

Other characters are sometimes found, most of them without speaking roles - two Boxers; a mysterious figure with a telescopic neck; Toby the Dog (sometimes a live dog, sometimes not); and various topical celebrities who are added and dropped from time to time by individual showman - e.g. Charlie Chaplin, Hitler, Presidents Nixon and Bush (Dubbya),Tony Blair, Saddam Hussein etc etc.

Every showman does his own show, basing it on his own version of the stpry and using whatever figures he wants to.

As well as the full serial killer Punch story, I myself do a completely different show for small children including many furry animal puppets and climaxing in Judy rescuing Clown and Policeman from the Crocodile and then reviving a dead Punch by artificial resuscitation.

Other showmen have similar "kidglove" shows far removed from the grim original.

The experts say there have been other plots but nearly all the shows currently played in Britain (today there are certainly quite a few hundred Punch "Professors" - the traditional title) are based loosely on the plot I have outlined..

Hope I haven't given you too much information. And I hope you'll come to England before long and see a real Punch and Judy show!

Why does an audience of children always want to protect Mr Punch from the hangman - but is busting to betray him for giving Joey the clown's sausages to the crocodile?

The hangman, still called Jack Ketch, says, 'You've knocked out all these people, so I'm going to hang you.' 'Oh, no, I didn't!' squawks Mr Punch, to which the children invariably echo, 'Oh, no, he didn't!' Mr Clarke is inclined to believe we carry hatred of the hangman in our blood.

As a petty criminal, however, Mr Punch has no chance. The kids are out to shop him. Joey asks, 'Did he give my sausages to the crocodile?' Without hesitation, the children chorus, 'Yes, he did!'

Here are two words that I bet you didn't know were popularized by Punch and Judy: the "punchline" and the "slapstick."

The Punch-line is the catchphrase that Punch shouts whenever he sends someone's immortal British soul to hell for no reason. It is: "That's the way to do it!" sung in a sing-song fashion.

The slapstick is the device that is generally used to carry out the aforementioned operation. It is a stick used by clowns to make their funny violence sound real. (Miracle Jones)

This lens is part of Chapel Hill Fiddler's Puppets & Masks CollectionPunch and Judy • How to Make your Own Punch & Judy Dolls • Casting a plaster mold to make a paper mache head • Punch & Judy show: the other characters • Bread and Puppet Circus • How to Make a Handmade Parade • Adult Puppet Theater • Make a La Llorona paper mache mask • Scary Masks from Afar • How to make a giant puppet and an El Tigre head • The giant head masks of Jane Filer • Make a space alien head from papier mache • Creep masks for Halloween inspiration • See all the puppet lenses at once • The scary recycled puppets of artist Michel Nedjar