A MAN who performed his first ever Punch and Judy show at Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation is set to celebrate 70 years in the biz with a performance for King Charles’ coronation next month.
Southend’s Chris Gasper was nine years old when he performed his first ever Punch and Judy show at a Loughton church fete, celebrating the Queen’s Coronation in 1953.
Now, aged 79, he is gearing up to play two shows at the community coronation event at Garons Park on Monday, May 8.
“It’s a really nice round-a-bout way to mark 70 years of shows,” Mr Gasper said.
“I was quite young at the time, so don’t remember all too much about that day, but I do still have the original stage and puppets from that day that I still use.”
Mr Gasper, a member of the Punch and Judy Fellowship, an organisation devoted to keeping the Punch and Judy tradition alive, added: “It’s not very often someone starts doing the shows as young as I did.
“But ever since I learnt to talk I had enjoyed doing funny voices, being eccentric, and just having fun performing, and Punch and Judy combines all of those things.”
With the history of Punch and Judy shows in England stretching back more than 350 years, Mr Gasper is hopeful the tradition will continue on in the modern age of digital entertainment.
“The popularity of it will keep up, I have no doubt,” he said. “I think the magic of it being a live show with audience interaction is enough to set it apart.”
Mr Gasper, who has lived and performed in Southend for 50 years now, says he is looking forward to the coronation.
“It’s going to be a marvellous occasion,” he said.
“I played the Queen’s Jubilee last year, which was a real celebration, and I am looking forward to similar scenes for the coronation.”
The Punch and Judy performer made his name in the city performing at the annual Southend Puppet Festival every year since it began in 1988 and ended in 2019.
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