Subverting the stereotype of Punch and Judy puppetry, the English seaside, light-hearted entertainment, fun for all the family, Tea Break Theatre's production of the classic duo is macabre and more than a little disturbing. A real life man-sized Punch stumbles blearily and violently through famous scenes, encountering famous characters and exacting his famous slapstick revenge. What starts off as humorous violence (as far as such a phrase can be possible) descends into more shocking encounters over the course of the show, such as the demise of a blind man asking for help and Punch's ultimate act of violence and betrayal.
The cleverly constructed set creates the backdrop against which the human Punch makes the change from two dimensional marionette icon to three dimensional murderer. Giles Roberts' portrayal of Punch is simultaneously humorous and highly disconcerting. Entwining marionette style movement and Punch's famous voice with the more human elements of his character gives a clear contextual grounding to the piece. Particularly in the older (original) sections of the script, a combination of the convoluted language, garish make up, and changeable demeanour add to the highly sinister feeling of the show.
Unfortunately, the other two performers do not possess the same strongly identifiable characteristics for each of their cameo roles. Admittedly faced with a much harder task (each performer taking on several roles and hampered by some rather makeshift costumes), these roles tended to fall flat with the audience, leaving it to Punch to induce comedy and fear once more. Such flaws were particularly apparent in the portrayal of the eponymous Judy, whose scenes with Punch could have been intensified even further to shock and amuse.
A highly interesting concept that was-well received by the small audience, Punch and Judy is the kind of new and experimental work that should always have a home at the Fringe. A shocking new way to consider the children's classic, Punch and Judy is thought-provoking and intriguing.
