The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-09
PUNCH AND judy.
AN ANCIENT sTREET SHOW THAT
STILL DELIGHTS THE ENGLISH.

Much Dispute rs to Its Origin and Histo-
ry-Mr. lesson Has Played the Dolls Be
fore the Prince of Wales When He Was
q Boy and Also Before His Children.
Who has not wasted pleasant half hour
watching the antics of Punch, even when
we ought to have been on more important
| businessY / once remember seeing the late
prime minister lingering on the edge of
crowd in Parliament street while the i'm
| mortal drama was being enacted under
"the pale glimpses of the moon" 1t was
| night on which there was an important
| debate, in which the Grand Old Man de-
livered telling speech, and who knows
| but he made his points the better for the
few minutes he allowed his mind to be re-
Taxed by watching the exploits of the grand
old hero Of the curbstone play that has
| run greater number of nights than even
| "Hamlet' or any of the other famous
| plays that continue to hold our stage9
We are never tired of it; no one is ever
| tired of it, We have all watched 1t as chill
| dren, and when we grow old, we like 1t as
| well as ever. But whereas il was in for
| mer days on the village green that We wit
| messed it, or in the convenient by street,
we may see 1t now in the dining room, or,
| If 1t be summer time, on the lawn. For
| merly it was thought only fit for the crude
| mechanicalsr of the village street or the
| market place; it is now the fashion for So
| ciety to indulge in it, and for royalty even
| to look upon 1t with pleasure so good is
| it for every one to get n touch every now
| and again of rude unsophisticated nature.
| And Punch and Judy is rude and for the
| most part very unsophisticated. We are,
| however, softening down even this speci-
men of "good old' aboriginal humor, and
| now it more frequently closes with mig
| ger" song or something of that nature,
| than, as formerly, with the death of the
| father of evil.
AS regards the origin and history Of
Punch and Judy, there is as much dispute
among authorities as touching the birth
place of Homer. But on one point there
appears to be little, if any, doubt, and
that is that the comedy came to us from
Italy, where it was popular in the middle
ages, as Punchinello contracted with us
TO simple Punch). The original characters
We're: Punch his wife Judy, the baby,
Toby, the dog, Scaramouch transmogri-
He'd later into the clown, a courticr, u doc
tor, constable, the hangman, etc. In short,
the four chief characters were always the
same; the others change somewhat ac-
cording to localities, national require
ments, etc.
Mr.. Punch Is we'll known nearly all
over Europe, as well as wherever the Eng
lish tongue is spoken. Toby always has
the distinction of being performed by
living individual, if one may speak of
humble member of the canine family as
an individual. 1t is popularity thought
that "a dog of breed only can be trained to
take the part of Toby This is mistake,
as l was informed by Mr.. lesson, whom
we may designate the Short" of the firm
which runs" the Royal Punch and Judy,
his son taking the part of Goblin. The
part is always taken by mongrel; moth
ing else in the canine line will stand the
training. The Toby of the present Royal
Punch and Judy is II years old, and he
has taken the part since he was few
months old. His father was 90 years old
when he was born, and he, too, had been
in the profession-on the stage, so to speak
since he was puppy.
Mr.. lesson "shook the dolls before the
Prince of Wales and his brothers and sis
tiers when they were little children, and
no remembers his royal highness laughing
till the tears ran down his face when
Punch rolled the baby about rs though no
were making IA roily poly pudding of it.. in
order, as no said 'to soothe it to sleep"
The Others were amused, but none laughed
like the Prince of Wales.
Says Mr.. lesson, with pride, "I've play
cd before the princes children, too and
they were just as pleased as their father
used to be-" He 0dds, eve played at
Windsor, at Marlborough House, at Buck
ingham palace, at Osborne at Frogmore
and at Sandringham.
1t should perhaps DO said here, lest too
many of those in search of profession
should rush in, that to be Punch and
Judy Snowman Is not so easy as might at
first sight appear. Apart from the fact
that there is n good deal of dialogue to
commit to memory, and that, in our days,
novelties must BIO introduced from time to
time, the one who aspires to perform with
the dolls must DO very ready witted, quick
to get UP fresh 'patter," good at repartoe,
and If not Sims Reeves, ut least distinct
ly "Sims Reevsy" at song. Then he
must DO something of mechanical genius
into the bargain.
Listen to Mr.. lesson: II make every
thing connected with the show myself I
make the frame and the hangings paint
the scenery and the drop scene i'm front, do
the carving above the stage, carve the
heads of the dolls and cut out and sew
their clothes. In fact, there is nothing
about the show 1 don't make myself-and
my son can do it all too. That gives us
plenty Of work to do at home, when we
are not otherwise engaged. The dolls, you
sec, get so much knocking about that they
only last about six months"
In addition to all this hard work there
is another consideration which should be
taken into account by those wishing to en-
ter the profession 1t is the danger attach
ed to the calling. The performer with the
dolls cannot do it without the squeaker-
and no may swallow it. And every one
who has committed such an error has died
after IL.
Tho present palmy days for Punch ac-
cording to Mr.. lesson, date from about 30
years ago. people then began to write
about the show" said he, land that led
IN ita bacouipO mora ropt1lar and thor,