JUDY AND PUNCH

Australia, 2019, 105 minutes, Colour.
Mia Wasikowski, Damon Herriman, Benedict Hardie, Gillian Jones, Terry Norris, Lucy Vellik, Don Bridges, Tom Budge, Virginia Gay.
Directed by Mirrah Foulkes.

Quite a surprise, with some moments of shock, a real-life Punch and Judy show.

Who of us knows the origins of Punch and Judy shows. (So, off to that information shortcut, Wikipedia. Which century, what year? England 1662, the beginning of the Restoration period, some influence from Italian shows, especially the character of Puncianello, a marionette entertainment.�

Of course, we have all seen some actual Punch and Judy shows: the main two characters, literally sparring with each other, most of the memories being of each of them with what looked like a baseball bat having goes at each other - the children rollicking with laughter, even at the violence.

So, this is a film of origins. And, obviously writer and director, Mirrah Foulkes, wanted to make a point about the inherent misogyny in the shows. We see Mia Waskiowski’s Judy first rather than Punch (an eerie Damon Herriman whom we have seen as Charles Manson via Quentin Tarantino, smilingly sinister and the brutal soldier in The Nightingale.) The screenplay weaves a tale, touches of fantasy, touches of the supernatural and superstition, touches of myth, more than a touch of misogyny, a portrait of a very unpleasant community.

We have a fable about the village and the people in the village. We have a parable, inviting us into a world which, at first, we might seem to know, but then subverting all the expectations of how the village and the villagers should live. A shrewd opening in inviting the audience to follow the young girl, Scout, through the darkness to the village walls, past the women of the night, into the tavern, settling in to watch the entertainment, Judy wandering among the rough clients, impoverished, both men and women, trying to collect some coins and then Punch, introducing himself, vanishing with a puff of smoke behind the curtain and then Judy and Punch and the skilled puppeteering of their show. Judy was to say that it was rather violent, Punch replying that that was what the audience wanted.

Rural England of the 17th century not unlike their cousins across the Atlantic later in Salem and other towns, there was a fierce religiosity, belief in the devil and evil rather than in goodness and God, experiences of sin and, what often follows with allegedly good people, finding scapegoats on which to load malevolent burdens. Here you show an ousted community, mainly of women, condemned as witches. And the morose villagers eager for public denunciations, stonings and hangings, with Punch casting the first stone, certainly not innocent.

We gasp at a scene the death of a baby, Punch not only not grieving but ready for a cover-up, scapegoating the two elderly servants in the house, beating his wife and burying her in the forest.

A Punch and Judy show in real life.

But there is a transition to the woods with a group of women exiled as witches, healing power, welcoming Judy to community, but a community of no fixed abode.

British theatre in the 17th century had traditions of blood and revenge – and here as well, Punch tormented during the storm, a cloak hanging in the lightning light as a diabolical presence. Punch has elicited no sympathy for us, then his malice in sacrificing the servants, and then his rationalising, like so many self-righteous allegedly religious people, telling the vindictive crowd, eager for the hangings, that he was not guilty but it was the devil through the servants. And the crowd was relieved that the hangings could go on, Punch himself pulling the lever.

The climax is powerful, unexpected, vengeance on Punch – a padded cell and a bizarre picture of a Punch and Judy performance. Before we leave the cinema, the credits show a collage and collection of black and white clips of children enjoying the Punch and Judy show.


1. The impact? Surprises? Invention? Imagination? Punch and Judy and the origins of the act?

2. The village, Seaside, the setting – the tone and comment? The opening, following Scout in the darkness, the encounter with the prostitute, her going to the inn, the customers, rough and ready, Judy collecting the coins, the atmosphere for the performance? The music, the anachronistic music, classics while the performance went on, later use of music, Whiter Shade of Pale?

3. The performance, Punch and his introduction, the magic, puff of smoke, the puppets, the strings, Punch and Judy and their working them, the increasing violence, what the audience wanted, the responses, Judy and her reaction, commenting on the violence, not many coins, Punch wanting to theatre scouts to be there? His ambitions and hopes?

4. At home, the relationship, the baby, the life story gradually revealed, Judy and her background, leaving, going with Punch, pregnancy and the baby? Travelling with their puppet show?

5. Punch in himself, small, boastful, his moods, his eyes on the neighbour, later relationship with her and her children, going to the stoning, throwing the stone at the victims, Judy present, her walking away?

6. The atmosphere of the town, the mayor, toadying to Punch? The police officer, small, reticent, the letter of the law, his hopes? The crowds, at the inn, the stoning of the women, the ousting of the women as witches, belief in the devil, scapegoating the victims? Their fears?

7. Punch, with the baby, the dog, tripping, the baby flying out the window, his killing the dog? Judy’s return, his justification, bashing her, burying her?

8. The servants in the home, elderly, kindly, the old man, his collar, waking, comments? Punch accusing them, getting the police, the officer and his strictness with the law, the interrogation, suspicions? His assistance? The interrogations, the pressure from Punch, the decision to hang them?

9. Scout, finding the body, their taking Judy to the village, the wise woman and her potions, Judy’s recovery, life in the village, the variety of women, the presence of men, the children, sharing with them, recovering? Their way of life, the celebrations? The children wanting to settle?

10. Judy hearing about the hanging, riding to the town, the haunting sequence of Punch in bed, the hanging cloth, his thinking it a ghost, the devil, the thunder and lightning? His poor performance with the children as the puppet and the woman exasperated? The scouts leaving?

11. Punch and his fear, going to the gallows, the crowd and vengeance, the policeman and his regrets? Punch and his hesitation, saying that the couple did not kill the baby and Judy, changing his mind, blaming the devil, rushing to pull the lever? The ropes breaking?

12. Judy riding in, a somersault, impressing the crowd, confronting Punch, a passionate speech, getting Punch to lift his hands, their being severed?

13. Punch in his padded cell, his stumps, his putting coverings on them, as Punch and Judy? The performance?

14. The town, change of heart, the witches and others returning to the town, settling down, ordinary life?

15. The final credits and the idea of showing the black-and-white responses of children to the various Punch and Judy shows? Keeping the audience thinking during the credits?