'Hit me with your rhythm stick': 'Punchman' John Styles

• Published in: Comedy studies 2013-01, Vol.4 (1), p.95-101
• Main Author: Moon, Tony
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Comedy; Punch and Judy; puppets Comedia dell ’arte; Slapstick
• ISSN: 2040-610X; 2040-6118
• DOI: 10.1386/cost.4.1.95_7

Magician, comedy performer and cultural historian, John Styles is an internationally regarded authority on all aspects of the enduring comedic persona of Mr Punch. John first came across the character through a working apprenticeship spent in a theatrical supply shop in London that sold second-hand magic tricks, ventriloquist's dummies and somewhat inevitably Punch and Judy puppets. John was initially drawn into this arcane world through a youthful fascination with magic, which endures to this day, however, the owner of the shop was a 'punchman' - a puppeteer and it was to be only a matter of time before John was to succumb to the emotive powers of Mr Punch and his entourage and start performing his own shows. That was the start of it all. John has been a 'Punchman' now for over 50 years. He has performed around the world in such diverse places as Broadway in New York City, Hollywood, The National Theatre and the Houses of Parliament. His work has been featured in numerous films, TV commercials and television programmes including The Box of Delights, Rainbow, The Avengers, Inspector Morse, Darling Buds of May, The Generation Game, East Enders, Midsomer Murders and the BBC film Hancock. Some of his more unusual assignments have been to entertain Napoleon in Terry Gilliam's film Time Bandits and to show actor/singer Tom Waits 'the way to do it' for the film Bearskin. Roman Polanski also wanted John's Punch and Judy for his remake of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.