A very special place to perform
My association with Beamish began before 2010, when Paul Foster contacted me about performing at the Georgian Fair. That developed into a relationship lasting around twenty years, with Jolly Good Productions returning for fairs, shows, Christmas events, Halloween and other special occasions.
Over the years I have performed in many different parts of the museum: at Pockerley, in the engine shed and carriage house, around the fairground, in the Band Hall, in the 1950s town and in the Pit Village schoolroom. Hazel has occasionally joined me to provide face painting too.
Beamish is a special place and I have always loved working there. Punch & Judy sits naturally amongst the historic buildings, costumes and characters. For the Georgian events I even adapt the show to suit the setting — the policeman becomes the Beadle, for example — and the theatre has worn different period covers over the years.
Forty or fifty shows a year
Before Covid, Beamish could account for around 40 to 50 Punch & Judy shows in a year. On busy event days I would commonly perform six shows, so it became a very familiar place to unload the theatre, get set up and start entertaining.
One of the pleasures of returning year after year is seeing the audiences return as well. Adults often laugh every bit as loudly as the children and tell me that they remember Punch & Judy from when they were young. Children who have seen the show before know when the audience participation is coming and are ready to join in.
I have always taken that long relationship seriously. In all those years I have never been late for a Beamish engagement and have never missed one.
Mr Punch goes exploring
The Agricultural Show in September 2015 produced one of my favourite sets of photographs. Between performances I decided, entirely off my own bat, that Mr Punch ought to see a little more of the show.
So I took him for a wander.
He met some of the traders and staff, inspected the exhibits and generally made himself at home. He encountered nurses, tried his hand at archery, investigated military equipment, met a horse and an alpaca, climbed aboard a tractor, visited the bees and took an interest in the fairground organ.
After all that excitement, there was really only one sensible thing left to do: have a cup of tea.
When Beamish became spooky
Halloween at Beamish gave me the opportunity to do something completely different. Instead of the traditional Punch & Judy cast, I created a special spooky puppet show, with witches, devils, ghosts and assorted creepy characters taking over the theatre.
The Band Hall in the Pit Village was transformed for the occasion, the audience arrived suitably dressed for Halloween and even my puppet theatre received a spooky makeover. It was very different from my traditional Punch & Judy shows — and great fun to perform.
Christmas at Beamish
Christmas has provided some particularly memorable Beamish bookings. In January 2019, for the museum's Twelve Days of Christmas event, I performed in the Band Hall in the Pit Village. Between shows I put out a display of Punch & Judy puppets for visitors to look at. It was a one-off idea — not something I normally do — but it gave people the chance to see the characters close up.
These days my Beamish work is concentrated particularly around Christmas. After Covid I have performed on six Christmas evenings, normally giving four shows each night in the Pit Village schoolroom. It is a wonderfully atmospheric setting: an old classroom with wooden desks, a blackboard and a roaring fire, filled with families waiting for a traditional Punch & Judy show.
Why Beamish matters
There are venues that are simply places where you happen to perform, and there are places that become part of your working life. Beamish is firmly in the second category for me.
After so many years, so many different events and so many performances, I still enjoy going back. The surroundings suit the show, the audiences understand the tradition and there is always a sense that Mr Punch belongs there.
Long may it continue.