LONDON- Dozens of puppeteers gathered in central London on Sunday to celebrate 350 years of the Punch and Judy show, an anarchic English seaside entertainment known for its slapstick and casual violence.
On the second of two days of festivities, Punch and Judy men and women - known as 'professors' - took their hand puppets on a procession in London's Covent Garden, staged shows for hundreds of children and held a church service with the red-nosed Mr Punch in the pulpit.
'Punch and Judy pokes fun at all the establishment, but it's got a lot of heart,' said Ms Maggie Pinhorn, organiser of Sunday's events, which commemorate the first recorded mention of Punch and Judy by diarist Samuel Pepys.
The show, performed by a single puppeteer in a striped booth, features the outrageous Mr Punch, who initially appears happy with his wife Judy and their baby before things go downhill when he is asked to babysit. (AFP)
Mr Punch (left) hits a police puppet in a traditional Punch & Judy show during a weekend of performances and shows on May 13, 2012 to celebrate 350 years since the first performance in England outside Saint Paul's church in Covent Garden, central London. -- PHOTO: AFP
'Punch and Judy pokes fun at all the establishment, but it's got a lot of heart,' said Ms Maggie Pinhorn, organiser of Sunday's events, which commemorate the first recorded mention of Punch and Judy by diarist Samuel Pepys.
The show, performed by a single puppeteer in a striped booth, features the outrageous Mr Punch, who initially appears happy with his wife Judy and their baby before things go downhill when he is asked to babysit. (AFP)
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