A swazzle (swozzle, schwazzle or swatchel) is a device made of two strips of metal bound around a cotton tape reed. The device is used to produce the distinctive harsh, rasping voice of Punch in a

Punch and Judy Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically Mr. Punch and one other character w ...

show, and is held in the mouth by the ''professor'' (performer). The design of the swazzle was once a secret guarded by the professors and only taught to those with a genuine respect for and interest in learning the performance of Punch and Judy puppetry. The device can now be bought from joke and magic shops although those made according to the traditional design are smaller and are generally considered superior. The swazzle must be soaked in liquor,

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cer ...

water Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...

, or saliva before use. The swazzle is positioned between the

tongue The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by taste bu ...

and the

roof of the mouth The palate () is the roof of the mouth in humans and other mammals. It separates the oral cavity from the nasal cavity The nasal cavity is a large, air-filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face. The nasal septum divide ...

so that exhaled air passes between the two metal strips, causing the reed to vibrate and shake. Deft movements of the tongue allow the professor to move the swazzle in and out of position, allowing them to switch between voices.

Swallowing

Because the swazzle is small, positioned in the back of the mouth and must be repeatedly moved during a performance, there is a risk that it may be swallowed while in use. In order to minimise the risk of swallowing, some professors attach a length of cotton thread to their swazzle so that it can be pulled back if it slips into the throat. In series 3, episode 11 of the British panel show '' QI'', presenter

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starrin ...

said that a Punch and Judy performer must accidentally swallow a swazzle at least twice before they can be considered a "professor".

External links

Punch's Swazzle: Construction
at ''Punch & Judy: The Punch Page''

at ''Punch and Judy on the Web''

{{Membranophones Membranophones Puppetry

Swallowing

See also

External links