Saturday: noon Children’s, 4 p.m. Two Rivers, 5:45 p.m. Two Rivers; Sunday: 2 p.m. Two Rivers, 3:30 p.m. Children’s

John Styles is the world’s leading authority on and practitioner of the ancient art of Punch and Judy, the slapstick hand puppetry brought to England from Italy more than 300 years ago. Styles has been a “professor” of Punch and Judy for more than 50 years, performing his magic for such diverse audiences as the British royal family, the Sultan of Brunei, and delighted children on the streets of London.

Punch is the descendant of Punchinello, the traditional Italian stage clown in the commedia dell’arte of the 16th century. Over the centuries, Punch evolved from actor to marionette to hand puppet; his successive miniaturizations highlight Punch’s symbolic utility as a projection of human fears, foibles and fantasies. Punch is a grotesque individual with a hooked nose, potbelly and explosive temper. Dealing out insults and blows along with wisecracks, Punch is a time-honored expression of the id of Everyman, a trickster who exemplifies the best and worst of human nature. While Styles is a staunch traditionalist, he is a master at the art of downplaying the violence and highlighting the ageless humor of Punch and Judy.

His show uses the traditional red-and-white-striped puppet stage and the “swazzle,” a kazoolike instrument that gives Punch his distinctive voice. Joining Punch and Judy onstage will be a cast of characters likely to include their squalling baby, the nosy police officer Bobby, the Crocodile and Toby the dog.

“Punch does the things the common people would like to do, but don’t dare,” Styles said. “What people always liked about him is that he deflated the pompous.”

Styles was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts in Britain after a lecture there on the history of this art form, and selections from his vast collection of Punch and Judy artifacts have been exhibited at the Museum of London. He has appeared in the Monty Python-inspired film “Time Bandits,” HBO’s recent series “Band of Brothers” (in which Mr. Punch entertained the troops as Hitler), Disney’s “102 Dalmatians,” and on the British soap opera “East Enders.” After a half-century of performing, Styles is teaching his sons to follow in his footsteps, continuing the nearly 500-year-old tradition.