From the Commedia dell’Arte to Punch and Judy 2

From the Commedia dell’Arte to Punch and Judy 2

Soon after the Commedia dell’Arte had spread across Europe, travelling performers started entertaining the public with a different but related show, that of Punch and Judy. Mr Punch, the lead male, is based on Pulcinella, who is now a trickster figure who batters his wife Judy. The first recorded show in Britain was on 9 May 1662, using marionette puppets. For the last two hundred years or so, a stylised version performed using glove or other pu…