It's 20 years since Punch Professor Richard Coombs brought Punch & Judy to the Heights, and this year promises to be extra special! Read about his amazing show, the man behind the playboard, and what to expect in his spectacular 20th anniversary show.
Roll Up Roll Up for the 20th season of Punch and Judy at the Heights of Abraham. Three times a day you can enjoy not only our spectacular Punch show but also the 15 minute Pre-Show filled with puppets doing amazing things. Some blow bubbles, some spin plates one might even defy gravity! Our show has been presented for twenty years by life-long Punch maker and performer Richard Coombs. Punch and Judy men are known as ‘Professors’.
But there is more to Professor Coombs than meets the eye. For forty years Richard has been one of the UKs foremost Film and Television Puppeteers. You might not know his face , but for sure you will have seen some of his work:
The original Spitting Image, Movies, television series, adverts and music videos have all featured Richards work using Muppets , glove puppets and Animatronics. And alongside it all Richard kept performing with Mr Punch.
The Remarkable story of Richard Coombs, Professional Puppeteer
Richard grew up in the North Kent seaside town of Herne Bay with its famous pier and clock tower. There was also Punch and Judy Show which he lived just two streets from. So watching that puppet show every day was a big part of his Summers growing up
There were two shows that captured his imagination. Colin Bennetts show next to the Pier in Herne Bay, and Peter Butchards show on the golden sands at Broad stairs. Hopefully our shows here at The Heights will be inspiring the next generation in the same way. Maybe a child that watches this summer could end up performing shows in the future.
Before he had finished secondary school Richard had already built a set of puppets, and his first theatre. He did shows at other children’s parties , and village Fetes. In this Black and white photo he is not yet a teenager. His puppet building has got more accomplished over the decades. At the Heights of Abraham you will see some of the most spectacular puppets in use anywhere in the UK.
Sixth form college was at Stratford upon Avon , one of Richards A-Levels was in Theatre Design. I think when you come and see our show you will realise he made the most of that qualification. He designs and builds the entire show, the theatre , the puppets and props, even the bunting…everything!
His Amazing Show at the Heights
In the first few years , the puppet theatre was quite modest compared to how it is now. We sited the show in the Piazza outside what was then known as the ‘Summit’ restaurant. Just like the Punch and Judy Show, Vista Restaurant has grown and blossomed over time.
The original theatre expanded into a three window show in 2015. This was to accommodate a rain hood so that shows could happen even during light rain. A practice we continue to this day. We know our guests are a hardy bunch, coming with pac-a-macs and umbrellas so the weather doesn’t spoil the fun. We believe that if you venture out on a bad day, you deserve all the entertainment to still be happening when you get off the cable cars.
The bigger theatre got a new spot under the tree outside of Vista restaurant. And there it very happily stayed, until an event bigger than inclement weather threatened to stop the fun…Covid 19 !
But we rose to the challenge. Extra socially distanced Vista tables needed adding out in the Piazza , so Mr Punch had to find a new home. A brand new pitch was constructed over by the Amphitheatre where the audience could spread out in safely distanced family groups. Here you can see a rare photo of the show being constructed.
Although they were not allowed to shout along with the show, we did have room for audiences to watch in a covid friendly setting. We are proud that ours was about the only Puppet Show to still happen in that difficult summer of 2020.
The old theatre looked quite splendid on its new pitch . Richard felt that being next to a stunning birds-eye diorama of Derbyshire, Mr Punch deserved a new home to complement the view. So in the long lockdown that followed, Richard busied himself in his workshop and built a bigger, more extravagantly glorious show.
You can find out how this herculean labour was achieved by checking out the build blog on his website.
That 2020 covid season was our shows 15th consecutive Summer. By following the Government covid guidance , and making some clever changes we were able to keep the performances going . Like the Windmill Theatre in the west end during The Blitz : “ We Never Closed !” And to celebrate our 15th year the Pugh family had a wonderful cake made with Mr Punches hat bursting through the icing. I wonder how we will celebrate our 20th season?
A brand new Punch Theatre deserved some brand new audience seating. Combine all this with our unrivalled landscape, and we are confident in saying we think we have the best looking puppet show anywhere in the UK
The hardship of that Covid year did ultimately do us a lasting favour. The new pitch has many advantages over the old . Not least of which, is that there is space for far more people to watch the show. Good advice is to be there just before the fifteen minute Pre-Show starts, if you want to be sure of a seat. But even standing you are in for a good time. With larger than usual puppets, and our massive show , you are guaranteed a good view even from the back.
The 2025 Summer Show
In recent years, our summer shows have enjoyed specific themes. It's always Punch and Judy of course , but Richard likes to throw in some topical characters and theming. We have celebrated getting beyond Covid, The Queens Jubilee, King Charles Coronation , Heights very own Ruby and Gold Anniversaries, and the Great British seaside. For our 20th Spectacular, we are sure there will be plenty of good stuff in the line-up.
Making a welcome return after a short break will be Mr Punch having a snooze between shows in bed with his teddy bear. Richard assures us there will a good mix of old favourites and brand new bang up to date characters.
The “Big bash Battle” between Jonty Spangle and Steve the Vista Chef, was last seen in 2017 . So it’s nice that a whole new generation will get to experience this comedy percussion duel.
These are just some of the brand new puppets created for this 20th season Spectacular. You can see photo diaries of these being built on Richard's Website. If you’ve got a budding puppet maker in your family you will definitely want to go and check it out for fantastic photos and tips.
Richard spends a lot of time during the Winter months creating new content for our Summer Seasons. He hopes everyone enjoys seeing all the new characters take to the stage this Summer. Remember, you don't need to have children in your group to come and enjoy our show . It is tailored to a wide age demographic that includes the young as well as ’the young at heart’.
If you want to discover more , including the Bognor Puppet Party in September , where you can see Richard perform alongside other of the UKs top Punch performers , then be sure to visit his website. And don't forget to let us know which bits of the show you and your group enjoyed the most . We love feedback, especially on Tripadvor. As Mr Punch himself has said for 20 years at Heights : “That’s The way to do it!"
For more information about Richard Coombs click here for his Website