Pat The Policeman, Jack Ketch The Hangman, The Ghost, The Devil Hand Puppets
43.PAT THE POLICEMAN HAND PUPPET
Pat is a jolly fellow, wearing a neat blue uniform. He
carries a club, something like Punch's, but it doesn't do him much good.
44.JACK
KETCH THE HANGMAN
Jack wears a black mask and black cape. The noose hanging from his
gallows tree must be large enough and stiff enough to be easily slipped over his head.
Single-strand insulated wire is better than cotton cord because it will hold the loop
shape.
45.THE GHOST HAND PUPPET
Make a vague, spooky blue mask of quick
papier-mache, attach it to a twisted wire body with cardboard hands, attach this to a
stick and drape some filmy white gauze over the whole thing. He will be frightening enough
with his jiggling wire arms and fluttering white shrouds.
46.THE DEVIL HAND
PUPPET
He is a dashing demon, dressed in clashing shades of red, scarlet and tangerine.
His pitchfork should be made of wood or tin and be strong enough actually to lift his
victim right off the puppeteer's hand and carry him away to Purgatory.
The Swazzle
Traditionally, the shrill inhuman voice of Mr. Punch is produced
with the aid of the swazzle or sifflet-pratique. It is made of two discs of metal tied
together with strips of cloth or tape. In speaking it is held between the tongue and the
roof of the mouth, and the voice seems to buzz between the discs, coming out shrill and
metallic. It takes some experimentation to make a good swazzle and more experimentation to
make it work properly, so unless you have the time for long practice, it can be dispensed
with. Besides, during the excitement of Punch's battle with the devil, there is serious
danger of swallowing your swazzle!