Friday Fun: Mr. Punch and Scaramouche

Mr. Punch and Scaramouche
George Cruikshank, 1827
From the George Speaight Punch and Judy Archive
at The Victoria and Albert Museum

We have previously enjoyed a video by Australian Punch and Judy Man, Chris van der Craats which showed us a recent recreation of some of George Cruikshank’s 1827-era drawings of the “Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch.” Here’s another recreation—complete with Piccini Punch. This one shows Mr. Punch and Scaramouche.

In the early Nineteenth Century version of the puppet show, Mr. Scaramouche was Mr. Punch’s neighbor and the original owner of Dog Toby. Punch encounters Dog Toby who bites his “beautiful nose,” and, then, Scaramouche confronts Punch about harassing his terrier. Punch confused Scaramouche by dancing with him, and, then beating him with his cudgel—eventually, taking Dog Toby as his own companion. This video begins just after Punch has had his first meeting with Dog Toby.  

Friday Fun: Mr. Punch and Scaramouche

Mr. Punch and Scaramouche
George Cruikshank, 1827
From the George Speaight Punch and Judy Archive
at The Victoria and Albert Museum

In the early Nineteenth Century version of the puppet show, Mr. Scaramouche was Mr. Punch’s neighbor and the original owner of Dog Toby. Punch encounters Dog Toby who bites his “beautiful nose,” and, then, Scaramouche confronts Punch about harassing his terrier. Punch confused Scaramouche by dancing with him, and, then beating him with his cudgel—eventually, taking Dog Toby as his own companion. This video begins just after Punch has had his first meeting with Dog Toby.  

Friday Fun: Mr. Punch and Scaramouche

Mr. Punch and Scaramouche
George Cruikshank, 1827
From the George Speaight Punch and Judy Archive
at The Victoria and Albert Museum

Here’s another recreation of George Cruikshank’s 1827-era drawings of the “Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch"--complete with Piccini Punch. This one shows Mr. Punch and Scaramouche.

In the early Nineteenth Century version of the puppet show, Mr. Scaramouche was Mr. Punch’s neighbor and the original owner of Dog Toby. Punch encounters Dog Toby who bites his “beautiful nose,” and, then, Scaramouche confronts Punch about harassing his terrier. Punch confused Scaramouche by dancing with him, and, then beating him with his cudgel—eventually, taking Dog Toby as his own companion. This video begins just after Punch has had his first meeting with Dog Toby.  

Friday Fun: Punch and the Blind Man

In this continued series based on the 1827 drawings by George Cruikshank which recorded Piccini’s Punch, we see this scene of Punch and the Blind Man. The video comes to us from Australia’s Chris van der Craats.  

Friday Fun: Mr. Punch and Pretty Polly

1859 Proofs for prints of George Cruikshank's Punch & Judy Series of 1827
This pair of images shows courtly dances including the dance with Pretty Polly
as performed by Piccini.
Images from the Victoria & Albert Museum.

Another scene from a recent Punchinello show which replicates the 1827 drawings of Mr. Punch by George Cruikshank, here we see Mr. Punch courting Pretty Polly with a dance. I wish I knew who the professor was here. He’s used “The Beggar’s Opera” by John Gay as the dance music.

The video, again is by Chris van der Craats.

Friday Fun: Piccini's Punch with Hector the Horse

Mr. Punch and Hector the Horse
George Cruikshank, 1827
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The previous two Fridays, we have looked at a recent production which successfully recreated the Tragical Comedy (or Comical Tragedy) of Mr. Punch as performed by Piccini and as recorded in the 1827 illustrations of George Cruikshank.

This video by Australia's Chris van der Craats, shows the portion of the show wherein our Mr. punch attempts to ride Hector the Horse. His attempts don't go well and, of course, he falls off--declaring for all the world, and the doctor, to hear that he is dead.

Friday Fun: Mr. Punch and Scaramouche

Mr. Punch and Scaramouche
George Cruikshank, 1827
From the George Speaight Punch and Judy Archive
at The Victoria and Albert Museum

Last Friday, we enjoyed a video by Australian Punch and Judy Man, Chris van der Craats which showed us a recent recreation of some of George Cruikshank’s 1827-era drawings of the “Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch.” Here’s another recreation—complete with Piccini Punch. This one shows Mr. Punch and Scaramouche.

In the early Nineteenth Century version of the puppet show, Mr. Scaramouche was Mr. Punch’s neighbor and the original owner of Dog Toby. Punch encounters Dog Toby who bites his “beautiful nose,” and, then, Scaramouche confronts Punch about harassing his terrier. Punch confused Scaramouche by dancing with him, and, then beating him with his cudgel—eventually, taking Dog Toby as his own companion. This video begins just after Punch has had his first meeting with Dog Toby.