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Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Punch and Judy; Puppet theater -- History; Violence in the theater;

Abstract

Punch and Judy are characters who exist only within the boundaries of the puppet theatre, in performances where characters are portrayed by inanimate figures. Nonetheless, the history of the puppet theatre, and particularly that of Punch and Judy, is closely related to the history of more widely accepted, actor-based theatre, where characters are portrayed by human beings. While the two traditions-share many common elements--such as the importance of characterization, direction, and design--the essential difference between actor-theatre and puppetry is the manner in which the performance is presented. The approach of this study is threefold: first, a linear history of the development of Punch and Judy will be presented; secondly, both the internal and external elements that affect the structure of Punch and Judy will be explored; and finally, the power of the puppet theatre that allows the transformation of profane material into that which is considered acceptable will be examined. The exploration of these areas makes possible a more complete vision of the Punch and Judy performance tradition. Furthermore, through a synthesis of the information from these three distinct elements, the ultimate objective of this study can be achieved: an explanation of how these components promoted the development of the Punch and Judy performance tradition.

Year of Submission

1999

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Theatre

First Advisor

Leonard Curtis

Comments

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Date Original

1999

Object Description

1 PDF file (92 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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