A Vintage May Fayre

Clive Chandler May 2008

I think it was a matter of general consensus that this year was definitely a vintage year for the annual puppet get-together that is the ‘May Fayre’. Despite all the difficulties of travelling and parking in central London, and the fact that nobody gets paid to be there, a good collection of Professors were holding Mr Punch up high on the occasion of his birthday, with a grand array of brightly painted Punch and Judy booths lining the gardens at the back of St Paul’s church in Covent Garden. Of course all performers are welcome (not just Punch) but it was particularly pleasing to see so many of the top profs in evidence this year. I counted about twenty performing shows, along with all the clowns, bands and street theatre acts, and maypole dancing. The bright sunshine added greatly to the jolly atmosphere and smiling crowds moved from show to show, dropping coins of appreciation into outstretched hats.

Along with all the things you would expect to see there was at least one piece of unexpected theatre. Nenagh Watson (of Doo Cot fame) doing something interesting with the late Joe Beeby’s boxing puppets (connected to each other by elastic rope), and also dressed as him. There should always be room for contemporary takes on the traditional form. That said there was a good smattering of innovation amongst the ‘traditional’ shows. This is certainly not an artform set in aspic.

A particular bonus this year was the presence of two overseas performers with a couple of Mr Punch’s unruly relatives. There was a fast and funny Pulcinella show from Italy in the capable hands of Gianluca Di Matteo and Dom Roberto from Portugal courtesy of José Gil. It is always good to see Punch in the wider context of his extended family.

It was interesting that both of the overseas show presented their shows without amplification. The other performers showed respect for the visitors by not performing against them. Otherwise it is not easy for performers in the general hurly burly to put their shows across. One notable performer was severely savaged, even with a good pa system, by the continuous ringing of the church bells, but he made it through to the end and received a very appreciative and understanding round of applause.

The fact that the Italian show was there was a matter of good fortune. PuppetLink received an email from a friend of his in Naples (who had worked on the Dynamics 07 Puppet Festival), saying that he would be in England in May and asking if there were any opportunities for him to perform. Of course we let him know about the May Fayre. His show had all the speed and attack we expect from the Italians. Chatting with him during the day, he was very keen to let me know what a positive response he had had to his mention in the PUK email newsletter. He had been contacted by a wide range of folk, who even if they couldn’t help him themselves passed his details on to others. It was a joy to hear how well our networking is working. I know that Geoff Felix (the doyen of Punch Archives) invited Gianluca to his at his place to explore the history of the May Fayre. He felt very welcomed.

José Gil’s attendance was more planned. He was booked at the special guest of the Punch and Judy Fellowship at their evening ‘do’. For those who went along this initiative provided the icing of the cake. It was a very convivial affair, held just across the road from the main event, and offered a chance for cool refreshment after the heat of the day in the relaxed atmosphere of the bar followed by special performances from our Portuguese guest. He reprised the two classic routines – ‘the barber’ and ‘the bullfight’ which he had presented earlier in the day. Then he presented the story of ‘Rose and Her Three Admirers’ – a hilarious piece of fast moving bedroom farce involving a bed (of course) a wardrobe and a trunk. This show is part of the repertoire which belongs to the tavern setting rather than the street. It was a master class in the use of three key props and a few puppets. I know Gil was delighted with the warm reception given by fellow performers and the general public.

After Gil’s show the PJF drew the raffle for the beautifully crafted Bryan Clarke Punch figure. It was a matter of huge delight that this was won by a young boy who had already acquired a crocodile and a devil and had shown so much enthusiasm for events during the day. Glyn Edwards immediately offered to include a copy of his ‘That’s The Way To Do’ It book. So perhaps it will not be long before we will be making way for a new performer…

Thanks are due of course to Alternative Arts who organise the May Fayre and to all those who make the effort to come along –especially those who bring shows and perform (and also those Puppet Organisations who bring stalls – such as The British Puppet and Model Theatre Guild).

The BBC were also there making a radio documentary that is due to air in August. The producer seemed pleased at how articulate the Punch profs were, but I suspect this had a lot to do with Martin Reeve who is the writer and presenter her and is currently doing a Phd on Punch (with Royal Holloway University of London and The College of Professors). If you ask intelligent questions you are much more likely to get intelligent answers.

This event has become a barometer of the condition of the Punch tradition and based on this year’s event things seem set fair for the future.

To see some images of the day by Photographer David Clifford, please click on the link in the right hand column, (where it says, For more information please visit...)

Clive Chandler is Chair of PuppeteersUK, a full time professional Puppeteer and a Punch Professor of some renown.