worldwide guests

 
 
two japanese puppeteers (kugutsu-shi) payed a visit to honour mr.Punch ito shiro also performs his own popular ‘UNCLE SHIRO PUNCH’ in japan. both puppeteers perform in the traditional japanese portable theatre style (kugutsu)  ‘punchinello’ was the first puppet recorded in american history and california’s brian patterson - whose parents were the producers of the original Renaissance Pleasure Faires - grew up seeing a lot of puppetry including Punch & Judy. he visited Covent Garden in 1995 to learn the secret of Mr. Punch’s voice and returned in 2000 for the Millennium Punch & Judy Jamboree in Birmingham. Brian describes his show as “a mix of classic traditional Punch & Judy with a contemporary edge” and has performed it internationally at at events in Italy for Carnivale, in Canada at the Edmonton Fringe Festival, and even Malibu for Pierce Brosnan Doug Price (Prof. Jolley)
 performer from australia  keith preston

performers from japan

KATAMI EIMEI

ito shiro

‘Preston’s historic punch and judy’ is keeping alive an australian tradition of punch and judy that goes back over a century and a half. assisted by his musician daughter shiyani, prof preston has taken mr. punch into all kinds of experimental performances as well as presenting the traditional show with an australian twist.

performer from america

Brian patterson

 performers from italy  Bruno leone irene vecchia gianluca di matteo
pulcinella from naples is mr. punch in his original feisty italian form. he was a very special guest indeed at mr. punch’s 350th birthday. maestro bruno leone is the world travelled performer who has done the most to ensure pulcinella’s tradition stays alive and well today in his home city. irene vecchia and gianluca di matteo are from the modern generation of performers inspired to bring the irrepressible puppet to to life with all his outrageous antics.

in punch’s parade from south africa

in punch’s parade from australia

Prof. Tim McDougall
 performer from france  philippe saumont
philippe saumont has studied mr. punch and pulcinella so as to present once more polichinelle - the often forgotten french cousin of mr. punch. Jan Klaasen is the Mr. Punch of the Netherlands and came to covent garden with puppeteer frans reijnier to parade with his rowdy relatives.

in punch’s parade from slovakia

Slovakian puppet hero GASPARKO was paraded with punch courtesy of puppeteer juraj hamar