This is the one and only Punch and Judy, presented live, and updated for the 21st century.

Allow Mr. Punch to remove your bad mood, in this absurdist delight for four out of the five senses. Watch as Judy tames unruly plumbing while avoiding the jaws of the carnivore du jour! And, feast your eyes upon the diaper change that should not be! The script has been updated to remove the traditional murder and misogyny of a Punch and Judy show, but Mr. Punch still swings a verbal slapstick at the powers that be.

It’s a melodrama of epically small proportions, and it’s so funny that you’ll forget to take out your phone for at least the first half-hour. It’s a low-tech old-time spectacle, as entertaining to the masses of today as it was three hundred years ago.

The hand puppets are created from up-cycled designer trash and performed in an eccentric itinerant puppet stage. The show is hosted per tradition by a “bottler”, the uku-lady Rose Friedman.  Justin Lander-- showman of the absurd-- portrays all the characters.

The program is rounded out with live music played on a variety of instruments, from the cornet to the bicycle pump.

ARTIST BIO

Modern Times Theater has been adapting and updating Punch and Judy puppet shows, creating Vaudeville acts, and writing original novelty songs for over a decade. They pursue a radically divergent model of art-making, creating venues in unlikely locations, and revitalizing the historic, run-down, and defunct. Working in populist theater forms, they seek to reinvent and reimagine classic American entertainment.

Co-founders Rose Friedman and Justin Lander are a husband and wife duo, producers for Vermont Vaudeville, and alumni of the Bread and Puppet Theater. Parents themselves, they strive to present quality entertainment that the whole family can enjoy.

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Saturday, February 19 | Doors open at 12:30 PM & 7:00 PM

Shows begin at 1:00 PM & 7:30 PM ; 60-minute runtime

Tickets are available for $15 in advance, $18 at the door, and $22 for preferred seating

No one will be turned away for lack of funds; contact MSA at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org for information on our sliding scale admission policy.

Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

COVID-19 POLICY

All patrons and staff attending events will need to show proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 (or negative test from within 48 hours) along with a matching photo ID. Children under 12 are exempt.

Audience members, staff, and volunteers will be asked to mask while not actively eating, or drinking.

Mayo Street Arts is committed to the safety of everyone at our events and will adhere to all Federal & Maine CDC guidelines on the day of the event. As we anticipate mid-season changes to our COVID-19 policy, please click here to visit our website and view the most current information.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Mayo Street Arts has a no refund policy for all reservations. In the event that MSA is forced to cancel an event due to weather, illness, etc., refunds will be offered via the Ticket Tailor platform.