PUPPET MOTION'S
JUDY PUNCHES BACK

“Judy Punches Back,” Puppet Motion’s modern interpretation of the traditional “Punch and Judy” show, is a hilarious, timely, hand-crafted farce that can be enjoyed by the whole family.

After being pushed around for over 400 years, the famous hand puppet heroine Judy has had enough. Audience members young and old cheer her on as she goes on a quest for respect, justice, and a well-deserved nap.

“Punch and Judy” is a British puppet show with roots in the 16th-century Italian Commedia dell’arte character Pulcinella. The the fast-paced, comedic shows center around the chaotic Mr. Punch and his long-suffering wife, Judy, as Punch features outwits authority figures like the police, a crocodile, and the Devil using his signature “slapstick” club.

The puppet show was first recorded in England on May 9, 1662, by diarist Samuel Pepys, who watched an Italian showman perform in London’s Covent Garden. Over time, the show evolved into a staple of British seaside resorts, with Mr. Punch transitioning from a marionette (string puppet) to the glove puppet we know today.

—-

Sarah Nolen, Director of Puppet Motion, is a Boston-based puppeteer and filmmaker originally from Austin, Texas. She became Puppet Showplace Theater’s third-ever resident artist in September 2017. As the Resident Artist, Sarah develops puppet shows and stays busy teaching puppetry workshops to all ages from Pre-K students to adults. Nolen consults on puppetry projects for theaters and cultural institutions, runs the theater’s “Hatchery” program for new works development, and co-hosts a monthly “Gym Jam” for anyone interested in honing their TV puppetry skills.

Sarah earned her BFA in film from Southern Methodist University, and an MFA in Puppet Arts from the University of Connecticut. Known nationally for her versatile, witty, and innovative work across multiple puppetry styles, she has appeared in the National Puppet Slam, at the Puppets in Paradise Festival, and the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival.

In addition to her work in puppetry, Sarah is an experienced filmmaker with credits that range from reality shows and commercial broadcast TV to Indie features and web ads. In 2015, she received the Mister Rogers Memorial Scholarship in support of her television pilot Treeples, a show geared towards empowering girls, which screened at film festivals across the U.S.

Run Time: Approximately 45 minutes