Our Founders - Responsible Jointly for Bringing the Fellowship into Being
John Alexander (1928 - 2019)
John learned his skills from watching old-timers Claude North and Will Hull. In addition to being a founder member of the PJF John was the first Chairman. For a number of years he busked near the Cutty Sark at Greenwich. John is noted for the books he published with plans and diagrams showing a variety of Punch frames and fit-ups.
Max Alexander (d 2024)
Son of John Alexander– and his father’s bottler. Max was a skilled Punch Prof in his own right and joined his father as a founder member of the PJF.
Joe Beeby (1921 - 2002)
Joe was known as “the Punch Prof’s Punch Prof” with a show that carried within it the flavour of old time Victorian street Punch & Judy. For many years he busked at the Whitestone Pond on Hampstead Heath and other London pitches. He was noted for a performance in which the voices of Punch and Judy were both swazzled.
Glyn Edwards
A seasoned Prof and self-described “Punch and Judy activist.” Glyn organised the celebrations when Mr. Punch turned 325 and 350 (The Big Grin). Glyn has made films and written books on the theory and practice of the traditional show. He drew up the PJF’s founding constitution.
Jay Marshall (1909 - 2005)
American entertainer Jay Marshall appeared on Broadway as well as in major USA night-clubs and on prime time TV shows. A legendary magician, ventriloquist and all-round entertainer, Punch was but one of his skills. His connections with the London entertainment scene – and a friendship with John Alexander - brought him into the founding names of the PJF. Jay was the first non-UK national to be a PJF member.
Charles McDonald (d. 1987)
First left in the photograph. As Mac’s obituary in the BrUNIMA Bulletin expressed it, “to every famous puppeteer there are a great many dedicated and conscientious and much valued background workers giving freely of their time and skills to the common cause - puppets. Mac, to all who knew him, was one of this company." Mac was the note-taker at the PJF founding meeting and subsequently became the first Hon Beadle (as the Hon Sec’s role was originally called.). This also made Mac the first member who was not himself a performer.
Percy Press II (1922 - 1997)After the death of his father, Percy II felt it was the moment to formally bring to the fore an idea that had been in the air for a number of years, namely the organising of a Punch and Judy society. To that end Percy approached a number of colleague profs. This resulted in the founding of the Punch and Judy Fellowship of which Percy became its first President. Percy had a busking pitch for a number of years at the Jubilee Market in Covent Garden and travelled to many overseas festivals.
John Styles MBE FRSA
During a professional career spanning more than sixty years John has performed at every kind of venue imaginable from pubs to palaces. A world-travelled ‘Prof’ he has made many film and TV appearances and in 2003 was awarded an MBE “For services to the arts – especially Punch and Judy." John is a freeman of the City of London.
Members Past and Present and Non-members
Michael Byrom (1924 - 2011)
A prolific writer on the history of Punch & Judy, who had many books published, in which he developed the argument of Punch’s Italian origins.
He described himself as puppeteer, author and caricaturist of unrepentant Bohemian status! He took up Punch & Judy having bought a battered secondhand fit-up with Punch figures for £12!
Working licensed summer beach pitches from 1964 to 1989 as Basil's Punch & Judy, he was partnered by 17 bottlers.
He was reclusive, without television, newspapers or telephone until a neighbour provided him with a mobile, and even then he did not answer incoming calls. He was famous for being very forthright with his views. It wasn’t what he said but how he said it which sometimes led to controversy, notably intense scholarly debate with George Speaight and Dr Hans Purschke.
Bryan ClarkeBryan is a former Chairman of the PJF and famed both as a performer and a carver. He performed under the name of Prof Jingles. For many years he was resident on Lowestoft beach, having first seen Punch there as a child. Bryan is possibly the most prolific of the great Punch carvers and his work can be found around the world. In 2001 his puppets were featured on a set of Royal Mail stamps.
Sydney de Hempsey (1890 - 1975)
Syd saw his first Punch show as a child in 1896 and would later become a major performer himself and write ‘How To Do Punch & Judy’: a seminal handbook that has stood the test of time and started many a ‘Professor’ on the road to success.
Not a particularly large man, Syd was certainly a larger than life character who would not have seemed out of place in a Dickens novel. Max Andrews – Syd’s original publisher – commented on his “wonderful sense of fun, good humour and good fellowship”. Syd was an excellent magician as well as a superb ‘Prof’ and particularly proud of his skill with Punch’s voice, claiming, “I have yet to meet any Punch worker that can beat me”.
Wal Kent (1880 - 1961)
"Remarkable" is possibly the best word to describe Wal Kent. A one-time plumber's mate who launched himself into show business around 1900, but is best remembered by Punch Professors for his skill in making Punch & Judy figures.
Giovanni Piccini (d 1835)
Giovannni Piccini is possibly best well known today for his show having been drawn by George Cruickshank and the script written down by John Payne-Collier, both appearing in a book 'Punch and Judy' published by Septimus Prowett in 1828. Payne-Collier likely combined the script of a show he had seen in Brighton in 1805 with that of Piccini (Speaight, G, (1970), Punch and Judy (A History by George Speaight), London, Studio Vista Ltd, page 80). In 1827 when Cruickshank's 'Punch and Judy was being drawn Piccini was already eight-two years old. Piccini died in St Giles Workhouse in 1835 (ibid page 94). The Payne-Collier script must be regarded with some caution. Speiaght writes, 'There is , I think, no doubt that with Punch and Judy Collier first experimented with the forgery of literary evidence.' (ibid page 82).
Percy Press Snr (1902 - 1980)
Known as the un-crowned King of Punch & Judy men. For many years Percy had a regular pitch outside Madam Tussauds in London. Inside St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden (known as the Actors' Church) there is a memorial plaque to Percy Press Snr.
George Speaight (1914 - 2005)
Puppeteer and historian whose extensive research led him to write the first definitive history of the Punch & Judy show.
Fred Tickner ( 1898 - 1992)
Fred was one of the great makers of Punch and Judy figures and examples of his work are to be seen in collection of the V&A. His style exerted an enormous influence on those who came after. In the 1930s he gave the first performance of Punch and Judy on British television. Fred also made British TV’s first iconic puppet star ‘Muffin the Mule’.
Des Turner
Des and Mavis have made a remarkable contribution to the Punch and Judy tradition. So far as the Punch and Judy Fellowship is concerned, Des served on the committee for 27 years, 12 years as treasurer and 15 years as president of the Fellowship.
Bob Wade (1920 - 2018)
Bob was very well known in his heyday not only for his actual show but for the wonderful sets of figures he crafted along with Jean who made the superb costumes.
Bob was his own man and had his own views of the profession, but many will recall his help and kindness that helped them up Mr Punch’s ladder.
