Burlesque upon Magistracy; or, Punch out of Humour

Printed

8 pages

Burlesque upon Magistracy; or, Punch out of Humour

| 1736 | Ireland
Genre (as defined by the author)
Farce
Characters
Gormoncho, Punch, Wyario, Mopsa, Alanio, Constables, Serjeants, Attendants, Burghers, Councilmen
Number of acts
1
Note

Burlesque upon Magistracy; or, Punch out of Humour is a play printed in London and in Dublin in 1736.

The title page indicates that the show can be seen at the “Roiting House" of a certain Don Parabocka, but that its script is printed because it is entirely new and an "intelligent interpreter" has not yet been found.

Plot summary

A thief disguises himself as a magistrate

Punch is furious because his sister, Mopsa, has been insulted. He offers to avenge her, but Mopsa prefers to go to court to ask their father, the magistrate Gormoncho, to punish the insult.

Gormoncho comes on. The stage direction states that he should be wearing regalia, but that thieves have attacked the puppeteers on their way to the city and have stolen it.

In court, Wyario, the clerk, reads Gormoncho an accusation against unknown people for robbing the regalia. The magistrate promises to punish the thieves, and moves on to the next case – Mopsa’s complaint.

Mopsa accuses Alanio of having sung a bawdy song under her window.

Alanio bursts into the room attended with two constables: it turns out that the thief is none other than Gormoncho himself.

Composition date
1736

First performance

1736 -

Don Parabocka's Roiting House

Publications and translations

Publication

Burlesque upon Magistracy; or, Punch out of Humour. Dublin: 1736.

Conservation place

Royal Irish Academy - Dublin, Ireland
Language
English
Literary tones
Burlesque
Animations techniques
Rod and string marionette
Licence
Public domain

Key-words

Theatrical techniques

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Written by

Cécile Decaix