He may be nearing his 350th birthday but Mr Punch is showing no signs of slowing down. The 33rd Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Show celebrates the red nosed stick-wielding puppet, bringing together dozens of puppeteers in a colourful, highly entertaining afternoon. The Covent Garden location is appropriately close to the spot where Samuel Pepys first sighted Mr Punch on 9th May 1662 and recorded the fact in his diary. Puppeteers from all over the country are accompanied by folk music, dancers, clowns and jugglers with refreshments provided by the Whitehall Choir. The day's events start with a toast to Mr Punch, and a brass band led Grand Procession starting at Church Garden, a beautiful little oasis in the city centre. There follows a special church service at St Paul's Church, with a sermon administered by Rev Mark Oakley and Mr Punch himself. An integral part of British heritage, Mr. Punch is a wonderful, anarchic figure and the spirit of rebellion. The puppet plays are full of the undiluted slapstick humour which kids find hilarious. Well, they don't know what politically correct means. With a raft of different shows, as well as puppetry workshops the kids can get involved in, this is a top traditional family day out.
Visiting Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
2 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
Jim Cartwright originally wrote this play to show off the singing impersonations of Jane Horrocks, having witnessed them during her warm-up routine for a play ...More
2 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
You're familiar with the egg and spoon race. Well how about the Christmas Pudding Race? Covent Garden Piazza swells with spectators as about 150 contestants ...More
4 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
This famous Grade II listed Victorian railway hotel has been totally refurbished, from the bars and restaurants to all 239 rooms, providing every modern convenience ... More
4 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
After a two-year, £22 million refurbishment the London Transport Museum reopened on 22 November 2007 revealing more exhibition space than before. The museum travels back ... More
4 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
After a two-year, £22 million refurbishment the London Transport Museum reopened on 22 November 2007 revealing more exhibition space than before. The museum travels back ...More
2 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
Sorbie does the celebrities, but prides himself on doing real hair for real people. He has a well earned reputation for great creativity and style ... More
Branches of this cool French cafe abound across the Channel, but this was the first one to open in London. Paul serves epic eclairs, excellent ... More
8 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
The Courtauld is one of the most prestigious art schools in the country, affiliated with the Oxbridge system and boasting a huge private location and ... More
8 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
Imperial College London is the foremost medical training faculty in the country but for non-medical graduates wishing for a change of career, King’s is the ... More
2 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
This day spa exclusively for women is a total pampering experience from the minute you step through the door. Located in bustling Covent Garden you'll ... More
6 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
Before it was a hip private members' club designed specifically for the creative industries - complete with bar and dining rooms, cinema, TV and recording ... More
2 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
Overlooking Covent Garden Piazza, the Cove is a world away from the crowds outside. Tucked up in a worn, leather armchair under the pub’s low, ... More
10 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
This
was once a sleazy Soho strip club, as the name suggests, and it really
shows. Deep reds are the dominant colour, with mirrors, booths and
velvet curtains ... More
3 minutes walk from Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Festival 2008
The second offering from Irish entrepreneur Dezzi Mc Causland, founder of Soho's famous Kingly Club, is a stunning triumph of glass, chrome and contemporary design ... More
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He may be nearing his 350th birthday but Mr Punch is showing no signs of slowing down. The 33rd Covent Garden May Fayre and Puppetry Show celebrates the red nosed stick-wielding puppet, bringing together dozens of puppeteers in a colourful, highly entertaining afternoon. The Covent Garden location is appropriately close to the spot where Samuel Pepys first sighted Mr Punch on 9th May 1662 and recorded the fact in his diary. Puppeteers from all over the country are accompanied by folk music, dancers, clowns and jugglers with refreshments provided by the Whitehall Choir. The day's events start with a toast to Mr Punch, and a brass band led Grand Procession starting at Church Garden, a beautiful little oasis in the city centre. There follows a special church service at St Paul's Church, with a sermon administered by Rev Mark Oakley and Mr Punch himself. An integral part of British heritage, Mr. Punch is a wonderful, anarchic figure and the spirit of rebellion. The puppet plays are full of the undiluted slapstick humour which kids find hilarious. Well, they don't know what politically correct means. With a raft of different shows, as well as puppetry workshops the kids can get involved in, this is a top traditional family day out.
