A WELCOME FROM DES TURNER
President of The Punch & Judy Fellowship

 

"Our Fellowship is the oldest and largest Punch and Judy organisation in the world and it is OPEN TO ALL who love Punch and Judy shows, be they performers, historians, collectors or fans.

 

You are welcome to join us and receive regular issues of our magazine the "Swazzle". This keeps you up to date with all that is happening in the UK and around the world relating to our much loved national puppet show.

 

 

 

We are also proud to have the support of Ken Dodd OBE, who is our Patron.

The PJF supports, encourages and inspires young performers to ensure the continuity of the show well into the future. Our aims are the preservation and promotion of the traditions, heritage and performance of the Punch and Judy show. To foster friendship between all who perform and enjoy the show and defend the right to entertain audiences throughout Great Britain, without persecution, interference or censorship.

We organise an annual Festival in Mr Punch's birthplace - Covent Garden, London. This year it will beheld on Sunday 30th September where our Members give their services free to support the PJF.

Our members are also the principal entertainers at the annual May Fayre Puppet Festival held in the churchyard garden of St. Paul's Covent Garden on the first Sunday in May.

This event commemorates Mr Punch's birthday, (The first written record of a performance of Pollicinella in England) as witnessed by Samual Pepys, in Covent Garden and recorded in his diary of 1662.

We also arrange various Punch and puppet festivals around the country and some of our Members perform their shows at festivals abroad.

For children and collectors we have published a Colouring Book of Punch & Judy, Postcards, Badges, Ties and a DVD, which you can purchase by visiting our Sales page or by clicking here.

Our extensive archive contains photographs, videos, newspaper cuttings etc, all of which help to safeguard the history of Punch & Judy and record the development of the show and our own Fellowship."

Thanks for your visit

Professor Des Turner
Known to all as Des the Pres!