‘I’m a Birmingham Punch & Judy puppeteer - here’s why the show is as popular as ever’

Punch and Judy – the warring couple that have been a staple part of seaside Britain for decades – are hitting a new peak in popularity.  

That’s because the show introduces children to an interaction with others near lost in an age of TV and computer game entertainment. 

Is it still as relevant? Oh yes it is, says Birmingham puppeteer Clive Chandler, who has been staging Punch and Judy shows for four decades. Is it resilient? Oh yes it is! The couple – and the croc – have survived lockdown and come back laughing. 

“Covid was a really tough time in two ways,” said Clive, from Moseley. “Financially, it was a disaster. Personally, not being able to do the thing that makes me tick did my head in.” 

You have to hand it to the 64-year-old – his puppetry skill is very much in demand. He performs in schools, at fetes, in parks and appears regularly at the Museum of Cannock Chase. Christmas was spent staging shows in Ironbridge. 

He’s recognised as one of the best in the business. Even fellow artistes who watch the man in action have to admit: That’s the way to do it. The father-of-two grinned as he told me  – “my children probably saw more shows than they would’ve liked.” And he is a walking encyclopaedia of all things Punch and Judy. 

And the pair’s antics are needed in an age in which some believe children should be protected from anything that fails to portray society as sugar coated. Not that Clive bows to claims the show is violent, despite the numerous blows to the head delivered during a performance. And he takes issue at newspaper articles dubbing Punch and Judy politically incorrect. 

“It’s a robust, knockabout form of humour,” Clive said. “Was Eric Morecambe slapping Ernie Wise violent? If you have a couple of wooden puppets on your hands, knockabout is what you do. I’m all for political correctness, but it depends what you mean by it. The question is, whose political correctness? 

“Punch and Judy, because it’s ‘duck and dive’ in the hands of a quality performer, people love it. Most shows have elements of danger and threat, some believe it’s a bit scary. But if you take all the robust things out, people grow up not knowing how to deal with things that are a bit scary. 

“Punch and Judy is just as big, people love watching it. They don’t talk about political correctness and backlashes, all they do is enjoy the show. My friend in Europe describes it as a bit of a Monty Python show, over-the-top surrealism.” 

Clive studied drama at university, learned to walk on stilts in Spain and while strutting the streets from that lofty height came across a Punch and Judy show. He was immediately smitten. 

“I thought, I love it,” he said. “It was more about the horseshoe of people of all ages enjoying the show. Punch and Judy is one of the few things that satisfies all generations. It works now. Six or eight-year-olds have a level of interaction they don’t receive in everyday life watching TV and computer games. Although I play to a lot of children and make them happy, I wouldn’t use the term children’s entertainer. I entertain people.” 

Clive is certain Punch and Judy are immortal, they will never die, never go out of fashion. Over the years, many have prematurely written them off. “Going back to Dickens, Punch and Judy was a street corner or town square – that struggled through the rise of the motor car,” he said. “When the English seaside went into relative decline, that took the shine off things.” 

More recently, Covid threatened the show, but it has pulled through. Clive has been entertaining for so long, he could probably perform Punch and Judy with one hand tied behind his back. But not all appearances are seamless. 

“The worst thing that can happen to you is the weather. The biggest problem, the thing that can blow you out of the water is being next to a loud DJ with a huge sound system and microphone. Ice cream vans with their diesel engines running can also be detrimental.” 

He has, however, no intention of hanging up his puppets.  Clive added: “As long as I can wave my arms, I’ll keep going. I see what I do as playing with the public and I love it.”