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| Keeping Punch and Judy in the family | Keeping Punch and Judy in the family |
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| Glyn Edwards vividly recalls his first glimpse of Mr Punch. It was a summer's day in 1948, when he was four, and he was taking shelter under Brighton's West Pier. The show was a riot of colour, noise and silliness – and the boy was entranced. "I can see it now. Everything is black and white except this square of colour and a madcap little figure leaping around. I was crying with laughter. From then on I pretty much had to see every show, every day." | Glyn Edwards vividly recalls his first glimpse of Mr Punch. It was a summer's day in 1948, when he was four, and he was taking shelter under Brighton's West Pier. The show was a riot of colour, noise and silliness – and the boy was entranced. "I can see it now. Everything is black and white except this square of colour and a madcap little figure leaping around. I was crying with laughter. From then on I pretty much had to see every show, every day." |
| Now 69, Glyn has been a Punch and Judy performer (they are known as professors) for 54 years. "I still love it just as much. It satisfies that inner spirit of anarchy that I don't think anyone in their right mind should ever lose." | Now 69, Glyn has been a Punch and Judy performer (they are known as professors) for 54 years. "I still love it just as much. It satisfies that inner spirit of anarchy that I don't think anyone in their right mind should ever lose." |
| Punch and Judy is, he says, "a way of life" – fortunately one embraced by his family. Glyn's wife, Mary, and daughter Katey are both in the business, and his granddaughter, Roisin, eight, is already a keen apprentice. | Punch and Judy is, he says, "a way of life" – fortunately one embraced by his family. Glyn's wife, Mary, and daughter Katey are both in the business, and his granddaughter, Roisin, eight, is already a keen apprentice. |
| While Glyn was the first in his family to make a living out of Punch and Judy, he wasn't the first to try. His parents, Billie and Connie, were entertainers with Brighton's celebrated Jack Sheppard's concert party, a 1930s seafront variety show. Billie did tap dance and light comedy, Connie played the violin. | While Glyn was the first in his family to make a living out of Punch and Judy, he wasn't the first to try. His parents, Billie and Connie, were entertainers with Brighton's celebrated Jack Sheppard's concert party, a 1930s seafront variety show. Billie did tap dance and light comedy, Connie played the violin. |
| When concert parties began to disband in the 1940s, Billie became a pantomime and variety show producer. Spotting a potential sideline, he bought a Punch and Judy set. | When concert parties began to disband in the 1940s, Billie became a pantomime and variety show producer. Spotting a potential sideline, he bought a Punch and Judy set. |
| "He loved Punch and Judy, but he just could not get on with it," says Glyn. "He couldn't get his hands to work separately, he felt claustrophobic in the booth and he was petrified of swallowing the swazzle [the device used to produce Mr Punch's distinctive voice]. The kit was stashed away with the junk under my bed." | "He loved Punch and Judy, but he just could not get on with it," says Glyn. "He couldn't get his hands to work separately, he felt claustrophobic in the booth and he was petrified of swallowing the swazzle [the device used to produce Mr Punch's distinctive voice]. The kit was stashed away with the junk under my bed." |
| Glyn realised that if he could master the dusty puppet set he might earn some money. "While my friends were making five shillings doing their paper rounds, I could get £10 doing a kids party." By the age of 16 he was performing regularly at weekends. | Glyn realised that if he could master the dusty puppet set he might earn some money. "While my friends were making five shillings doing their paper rounds, I could get £10 doing a kids party." By the age of 16 he was performing regularly at weekends. |
| Two years later, he enrolled at teacher training college – "Dad was keen that I get a proper job" – and a friend invited him to an evening course in puppetry. Also present was Mary, a puppet maker with the Little Angel theatre run by her uncle John Wright. | Two years later, he enrolled at teacher training college – "Dad was keen that I get a proper job" – and a friend invited him to an evening course in puppetry. Also present was Mary, a puppet maker with the Little Angel theatre run by her uncle John Wright. |
| They got on very well and began to work together, putting on a Saturday morning Punch and Judy show at the Little Angel. They were married in 1967. "We haven't been married quite as long and Mr and Mrs Punch," says Glyn, laughing. | They got on very well and began to work together, putting on a Saturday morning Punch and Judy show at the Little Angel. They were married in 1967. "We haven't been married quite as long and Mr and Mrs Punch," says Glyn, laughing. |
| When Katey was born, five years later, Mary left her job and began to juggle puppet-making, performing her own children's show, helping with Glyn's weekend Punch and Judy work (he was also working as a producer on the 70s TV show Tiswas) and family life. Work has always dominated their life. "Punch and Judy has always been there. It takes up all our time. It meant we never had weekends separate from work, but because we were both doing it, it didn't matter too much." | When Katey was born, five years later, Mary left her job and began to juggle puppet-making, performing her own children's show, helping with Glyn's weekend Punch and Judy work (he was also working as a producer on the 70s TV show Tiswas) and family life. Work has always dominated their life. "Punch and Judy has always been there. It takes up all our time. It meant we never had weekends separate from work, but because we were both doing it, it didn't matter too much." |
| Katey, 41, recalls a very happy childhood. "The best thing was Mum's workshop. There were benches and tools and big shelves with loads of jars – eyes, big noses, small noses, squeakers, growlers. There was one labelled 'Katey project', which I think was something to do with school, but they used to say was how I had been assembled. " | Katey, 41, recalls a very happy childhood. "The best thing was Mum's workshop. There were benches and tools and big shelves with loads of jars – eyes, big noses, small noses, squeakers, growlers. There was one labelled 'Katey project', which I think was something to do with school, but they used to say was how I had been assembled. " |
| She loved the rejected prototypes that came her way. "Lamby was my favourite – Mum made soft toys and he was a dog who went a bit wrong." | She loved the rejected prototypes that came her way. "Lamby was my favourite – Mum made soft toys and he was a dog who went a bit wrong." |
| Weekend work was an inevitable consequence of the trade and Katey spent lots of time with her grandparents. They, too, were often performing and would rope her in. "They used to dress me up as a clown or a cat. Grandad did magic and comedy. I think that's where I got the bug." | Weekend work was an inevitable consequence of the trade and Katey spent lots of time with her grandparents. They, too, were often performing and would rope her in. "They used to dress me up as a clown or a cat. Grandad did magic and comedy. I think that's where I got the bug." |
| Katey was proud of her parents' work – enjoying the early responsibility of passing Mary the puppets when she accompanied her on jobs – but there were downsides. "It was sometimes difficult seeing your parents giving lots of attention to lots of other children." | Katey was proud of her parents' work – enjoying the early responsibility of passing Mary the puppets when she accompanied her on jobs – but there were downsides. "It was sometimes difficult seeing your parents giving lots of attention to lots of other children." |
| As a teenager, Katey earned extra pocket money helping her father with his shows, but it was only when she was stuck for a project for drama A-level that she began to use the puppets herself. She was soon doing fetes and parties, realising, as her father had once done, that this was a lucrative Saturday job. | As a teenager, Katey earned extra pocket money helping her father with his shows, but it was only when she was stuck for a project for drama A-level that she began to use the puppets herself. She was soon doing fetes and parties, realising, as her father had once done, that this was a lucrative Saturday job. |
| Now as Professor Peanuts (in honour of her grandad, Peanuts the Clown), Katey presents a Punch and Judy show and workshop for local schools and performs with her parents at their base at the Fishing museum on Brighton beach. | Now as Professor Peanuts (in honour of her grandad, Peanuts the Clown), Katey presents a Punch and Judy show and workshop for local schools and performs with her parents at their base at the Fishing museum on Brighton beach. |
| "I very much feel part of a tradition. That connection is important to me. It has been such a big part of my life. I had this amazing family model to fall back on." | "I very much feel part of a tradition. That connection is important to me. It has been such a big part of my life. I had this amazing family model to fall back on." |
| As a woman, though, Katey says it is especially important that her show be individual and not a rehash of her father's. "I couldn't have worked it all out without him. I'll always want to learn from him, but my show is different. Judy is usually performed by a man as a naggy, pantomime dame. Mine is bossy, but sillier. I think of her as a cross between Sybil Fawlty and Catherine Tate with the hair of Ruby Wax." | As a woman, though, Katey says it is especially important that her show be individual and not a rehash of her father's. "I couldn't have worked it all out without him. I'll always want to learn from him, but my show is different. Judy is usually performed by a man as a naggy, pantomime dame. Mine is bossy, but sillier. I think of her as a cross between Sybil Fawlty and Catherine Tate with the hair of Ruby Wax." |
| The puppets play a part in shaping their own personalities, says Glyn, and over the years they have pretty much become part of the family. Last year, chronic shoulder problems due to years of working with his arms above his head forced Glyn to retire the original Mr Punch in favour of a lighter version – with a perkier character. "You get very attached to the puppets. They've done so many shows, made so many kids laugh. Mary had refurbished that Punch so many times, he was better dressed than me!" | The puppets play a part in shaping their own personalities, says Glyn, and over the years they have pretty much become part of the family. Last year, chronic shoulder problems due to years of working with his arms above his head forced Glyn to retire the original Mr Punch in favour of a lighter version – with a perkier character. "You get very attached to the puppets. They've done so many shows, made so many kids laugh. Mary had refurbished that Punch so many times, he was better dressed than me!" |
| Katey admits that – to her great surprise – she found the change upsetting. "I've told Dad that even if he leaves me nothing else when he goes, that Punch is mine." | Katey admits that – to her great surprise – she found the change upsetting. "I've told Dad that even if he leaves me nothing else when he goes, that Punch is mine." |
| Meeting Glyn, Mary, Katey and Roisin in Brighton, it is clear how proud of each other they are. Despite the zany, larger-than-life nature of Punch and Judy, they are all softly spoken, listening carefully to what each other has to say. | Meeting Glyn, Mary, Katey and Roisin in Brighton, it is clear how proud of each other they are. Despite the zany, larger-than-life nature of Punch and Judy, they are all softly spoken, listening carefully to what each other has to say. |
| "Katey does a brilliant show and I believe we are the only father and daughter professors," says Glyn. "Sadly, my dad died too soon, but to have her doing this, right here in Brighton, would have meant so much to him. Being down on the beach on a nice day, making people laugh, is life- enhancing. There's nothing like seeing a family having a shared moment, enjoying something together. You're giving them something to talk about and it has been happening for generations." | "Katey does a brilliant show and I believe we are the only father and daughter professors," says Glyn. "Sadly, my dad died too soon, but to have her doing this, right here in Brighton, would have meant so much to him. Being down on the beach on a nice day, making people laugh, is life- enhancing. There's nothing like seeing a family having a shared moment, enjoying something together. You're giving them something to talk about and it has been happening for generations." |
| • brightonbeachpunchandjudy.com | • brightonbeachpunchandjudy.com |
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