Burjesta Theatre, resident theatre company of the Casa on Hope Street, and organisers of Theatre at the Casa, one of Liverpool’s most celebrated fringe theatre venues, are bringing their own production, a modern reworking of Punch and Judy, to the Casa Theatre for a three night run on February 7th, 9th and 11th. As Burjesta’s final performance and the culmination of nearly 8 years of theatrical mayhem and magic, Punch and Judy Versus the Devil promises to be a very special show indeed!
Billed as ‘a battle for the heart and soul of civilisation…a fight for the future of mankind…and a dog and a crocodile struggling over a string of sausages!!’ Burjesta’s version of Punch and Judy Versus the Devil may seem like a far cry from the childhood favourite often seen as a quintessential piece of British seaside entertainment, having been reworked into a stage show using actors instead of puppets, and ‘strictly not for children.’
The production features an intriguing list of colourful characters, including Baby Alber, Toby the Dog, Joey the Clown, Pretty Polly, Scaramouche, the Crocodile and Jack Ketch the Hangman, as well as a twelve-legged, six bodied Devil, the nemesis of Punch, and of course his wife Judy.
Presenting an incredibly talented cast and a theatre company known for its often surreal and hard-hitting productions, expect plenty of laughs and some incisive examinations of serious social issues – dealing with themes including domestic violence, misogyny and racism that were present in the original story and reworking them for the present day, this production is taking a look at life in ‘austerity-hit Britain’ through the lens of what Marx described as the ‘superstructure’: ‘the political, cultural and social make up of society’.
‘It’s something of a potpourri culturally with us tipping our hat to the giants on whose shoulders we stand: ‘Shameless’, ‘Phoenix Nights’, ‘Laurel and Hardy’, ‘The Matrix’, ‘Monkey’ – all backed by a retro soundtrack of the finest 80s music’, explains Julian Bond, writer and director of Punch and Judy Versus the Devil. ‘What you’ll see on stage has very much been an ‘organic’ process. We significantly changed the ending both for artistic and ideological reasons.’
‘We think it’s going to be a cracking show, we’ve certainly put our heart and soul into it and there are some genuinely jaw-dropping moments with the mood very much moving from comedy to the tragic and back again. We hope you’ll come and see it!’ With such a curious set of themes, influences and dramatic action, and as Burjesta’s final performance, this is quite simply a show not to be missed!
Get your tickets HERE
Find out more about Casa Theatre ONLINE
Find out more about the Casa ONLINE
Images Courtesy of Alix Watson and Burjesta Theatre
