Matters of Mr. Punch have much been on my mind lately, especially as I await my new figure from the famous Bryan Clarke. I’ve been looking at my Punch-related materials, and, in addition to Mr. Clarke, a couple of other names continue to stand out. Among them is Professor Glyn Edwards.
Edwards offers the “world famous Brighton Punch & Judy Show,” and has been a mainstay of the Punch & Judy world for decades, delighting thousands of people, young and not-so-young with Mr. Punch’s continued antics.
Mr. Edwards comes from a theatrical family. His mother and father were seaside concert party artists in Brighton during the 1930s. Later, the elder Mr. Edwards would go on to produce pantomimes and summer variety shows. Glyn Edwards married a young woman named Mary who happened to be the niece of famed puppeteer John Wright—founder of London’s “Little Angel Theatre.” Mary Edwards is also a celebrated puppeteer and has lent her talents as both a performer and a maker of exceptional puppets to a wide range of television, film and theatre projects.
Since puppets run in the Edwards family, Glyn and Mary’s daughter, Katey, has joined the family business, now working as a Punch Professor herself with great success. They hope that Katey’s daughter, Roisin, will be the fourth generation of Edwards Family puppeteers.
For his many years of bringing joy to the English seaside and for being the standard bearer for another great dynastic performing family, Glyn Edwards is our “Person of the Week.
You can find more about the Edwards family
here.
