9 May: Punch and Judy

9 May is Mr Punch's birthday - so here are some facts about the Punch and Judy Show.

1. The first written reference to an early version of the Punch and Judy Show in England is in the diary of Samuel Pepys, in 1662. He was a massive fan. He wrote in his diary that he saw the Italian puppet showman Pietro Gimonde perform it in Covent Garden. Pepys was impressed enough to drag his wife along to see the show a couple of weeks later, and they went to see another version a few months later, in Charing Cross.
2. King Charles II liked the show, too - he asked for a royal command performance of it at Whitehall. A stage measuring 20ft by 18ft was set up in the Queen’s Guard Chamber. Pietro Gimonde was presented with a gold chain and medal, a gift worth £25 then, or about £3,000 in today's money. About 200 years later, the show was put on for Queen Victoria by John Philip Carcass.
3. The puppeteer is known as the Punchman, or sometimes, the Professor. In the 18th and 19th centuries, when shows regularly took place on the streets, and had an audience of adults rather than children, the Punchman would have an assistant known as "the Bottler". The Bottler's job was to collect money from the audience in a jar. The takings would be referred to as "the Bottle" and from that, the Bottler got his name.
4. The principal character is Mr Punch, who evolved from the Italian comedy character Pulcinella. It's thought this name derives from the word pulcino, meaning "chicken" because he had a beak-like nose and a squeaky voice. Mr Punch still has a big nose and a squeaky voice - the voice is produced by means of a reed which the Punchman puts in his mouth. The reed is called a swazzle.
5. Other characters include Punch's wife, Judy, who, in the 18th century, was called Dame Joan. By 1825, she had come to be known as Judy in England. There is usually a baby, which Punch is asked by Judy to look after, and he makes a total mess of it; a policeman, a Clown, a dog (Toby, which in early shows would be played by a real dog) and a Crocodile. The crocodile is usually the villain, which, in the early shows would have been the Devil or a hangman. Other characters are included at the discretion of the Punchman.
6. The Victorian surge in seaside resorts, railways and Bank Holidays meant the Punch and Judy show found its way onto the beach, where they are usually found today. Performing in the street declined due to the increase in motor traffic.
7. However, the 20th century brought a decline in its popularity for a number of reasons. One was the arrival of other forms of entertainment - music hall, and later cinema and TV. During the World War II, Punchmen were called up and seaside resorts were largely out of bounds for the general population. However, Punch and Judy shows were put on for the troops by a Punchman called Percy Press, with Punch and Judy in army uniforms and Hitler as the villain.
8. Unsurprisingly, the show's popularity waned thanks to political correctness. It was almost banned because it was thought to trivialise domestic violence. This wasn't a new thing, however. Even in Victorian times, people claimed the show encouraged violence. Charles Dickens was one who disagreed. He wrote, "In my opinion the Street Punch is one of those extravagant reliefs from the realities 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."
9. 20th Century Punchmen, more often than not, came from established families, who handed the tradition from father to son, often using puppets their fathers or grandfathers had made themselves. These Punchmen were known as the ‘swatchel omis’. Later on, another group, called ‘the beach uncles’, appeared - they were not part of the established families, but were attracted to the lifestyle.
10. Despite the political correctness brigade, the show is still popular, especially with children. In a 2006 UK poll, the public voted Punch and Judy onto the list of icons of England; and in 2001 Punch and Judy appeared on a set of commemorative Postage stamps. In Parliament, the heckling and raucous exchanges in the House of Commons, especially at Prime Minister's Questions, has become known as "Punch and Judy politics".

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