At a Glance
- The Southend Pier Puppet Festival began in 1988 and continues to attract support.
- The 35th festival features performances with marionettes on the world’s longest pier.
- Exhibitions of Punch & Judy memorabilia have been hosted but faced space challenges after 2019.
- The event has adapted through challenges including strong winds and venue changes.
The Southend Pier Puppet Festival started in 1988 and, apart from the COVID pandemic and one of the fires on the Pier, has enjoyed continuous support from the Council ever since. The 35th Festival will give six performers the opportunity to entertain visitors to the Longest Pier in the World using marionettes and offer an exhibition of posters.
Stella Richards, who was Secretary of the Punch & Judy Fellowship, started the event in 1988. In the early years, a marquee was provided to house performers and exhibit a selection from Stella’s collection of over 700 puppets.
One year, the marquee was challenged by very strong winds. It was anchored to the decking with bolts and large nuts, but the wind tried to lift the structure causing the bolts to rattle. Puppets were stored overnight in a shed, but on arrival the second day, it was discovered the marquee had been taken down to prevent it from being blown away to Kent. The performances were then moved to the Pier Train Station for Sunday.
Developments and Exhibitions
The arrival of the Pavilion in 2012, which features on the Pier Webcam, presented the opportunity to perform indoors with marionettes and to offer an exhibition in two display cases featuring Punch memorabilia alongside posters to explain the history of Mr Punch.
The Pavilion was taken over by a restaurant in 2019, resulting in no space for the exhibition. However, the Pier Museum has since agreed to display some Punch items in a display case for the Puppet Festival.
By Professor Chris Gasper
Punch & Judy Fellowship