Entertainer: Punch and Judy "Doesn't Represent Wife Beating"

18 July 2018, 10:47 | Updated: 18 July 2018, 11:01

Brian Llewellyn refused a school's request to remove the violent elements from his Punch and Judy show.

Mr Llewellyn, a performer for over 40 years, was asked by the school - which he has not named - to drop parts of his show where Punch hits Judy.

He told Nick Ferrari: "We politely wrote back and said well no, it's a traditional Punch and Judy show. It wouldn't be Punch and Judy if Punch didn't hit everybody.

"We've had a couple of incidents where we were asked not to do the Punch and Judy because they didn't want the violence, they didn't want the wife beating and the child abuse, hang on, it's two wooden puppets being hit with a stick.

"The children come and laugh their heads off and shout at it - it doesn't represent wife beating."

When Nick pointed out that Punch "does hit his wife though," Mr LLewellyn said: "but he also hits the doctor, the judge, the policeman, the crocodile, the black man, he hits everybody."

Nick asked: "He hits the black man? Could it be we're looking at an act that perhaps has had its day?"

Mr LLewellyn replied: "No, it's silly, slapstick humour."