The text is a part of the collected works La Conjecture de Babel et autres textes (The Conjecture of Babel and other plays) that consists of seven plays written between 1976 and 1996 on the topic of the puppet itself.

In 1975, the director of the Théâtre Paul-Éluard in Choisy-le-Roi Françoise Villaume gave Alain Recoing carte blanche for the creation of a puppet show for adults. Alain asked his son Éloi to write a new version of the Punch and Judy show published by John Payne Collier in 1828. From the vengeful figure of the British Punch, Éloi Recoing (under the stage name Paul Éloi) wrote a new “absurd and unleashed Batman”, allowing him to tackle contemporary social and political issues. He took his inspiration from the typical slang of the May 68 generation, replacing the traditional Cockney language.

In 1976, Antoine Vitez offered to stage the play. For this occasion, Alain Recoing renamed his company le Théâtre aux Mains Nues. The production toured internationally with more than 100 performances, notably to the World Festival of Puppet Theatres in Charleville-Mézières, the Festival of Pecs in Hungary, and in Great Britain. In 1979, Vitez staged a new production for the Printemps du Théâtre des Quartiers d’Ivry. Alain Recoing and his son Aurélien are puppeteers in both productions. Alain’s third son, Blaise, composed and performed the music with a clarinet. Maryse Le Bris made 35 puppets for the show with new visual aspects for the characters: Punch has red hair, a sideburns tattoo on his cheeks and a clear costume. Judy is a young blond woman, without her typical hooked nose.

From a bag, the Montreur (Puppet Master) takes the puppets of Punch and Tobby the dog to perform his show. Punch and Tobby meet a deceptive fortune-teller who foresees a tragic future for Punch. Punch and Tobby steal her money, run away, and play a nasty trick on Commissaire (superintendent) Gambrinus. The Adjoint (second in charge) goes after them but ends up being beaten up with a huge stick.

Punch meets Judith, and the Montreur pairs them as pimp and prostitute: she seduces the clients and he knocks them out. Later on, Judith gives birth to an adult Anatole, and Punch kills the Professeur (professor) Levieux. The Hydre (Hydra) (“a constant pain in the arse”, at the same time solicitor and social worker) wants to withdraw the custody of Anatole from his father, Punch. They argue and behead the child. Punch kills the Hydre and then strangles Judith. The Commissaire and the Adjoint catch Punch. The trial requires a psychiatrist, but Punch hits the Psycha-cho-chiatre (play on the French word for psychiatrist) and runs off again. He sleeps with Commissaire Gabrinus’ wife, but the Commissaire catches them in the act. Punch is sentenced to death, but he manages to have the Bourreau (executioner) beheaded instead. The Diable (Devil) appears as Tobby and fights Punch but Punch kills him, escaping the fortune-teller’s prediction.