Lambert, Eugene

by Linde Lunney

Lambert, Eugene (1928–2010), puppeteer and entertainer, was born in spring 1928 in Bayview Terrace, Sligo, one of two sons and one daughter in the family of John Malachy ('Jack') Lambert (d. 1943), county librarian of Sligo, and Eileen Lambert (née O'Connor; d. 1985). His mother had been an Irish-dancing teacher, and often adjudicated at Irish-dancing competitions. After her husband died aged only 35, she joined the county library as an assistant librarian, and worked there for over twenty years. A notable local historian, she was involved with several local history groups and helped found the long-running Yeats Summer School in Sligo; she was first honorary secretary, and later first woman president of the Yeats Society (1981). She ran the annual Feis Shligigh for many years, and was its president in 1981.

Eugene attended the local Summerhill College until his father's death, and then Sligo's municipal technical school, where he trained as a fitter. He got a job as a refrigeration engineer in a local factory, but from an early age, for no obvious reason, was fascinated by ventriloquism and the world of entertainment. In 1943, aged 15, he and 'Frankie', his first puppet, took part in a show in Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim. He carved Frankie's head himself, from wood, and always afterwards made his own puppets, at first from wood, and later moulded from plastic. Lambert married Mary (always known as Mai) Bolton on 7 August 1950 in Sligo, and the day afterwards they moved to Dublin, where he had found a job in a commercial refrigeration business. He was, however, still keen on being an entertainer and his wife entered him in a talent competition; when he won, he was booked for appearances in the Queen's Theatre on Pearse Street. Continuing for some years to work as an engineer, he eventually was sufficiently successful as an entertainer to turn professional, and was the first puppeteer to become celebrated in Ireland.

Lambert toured music halls in Great Britain, and from 1953 was a popular performer on Radio Éireann. Starring in variety shows and cabarets throughout the country, he appeared for several seasons in 'Gaels of laughter', a show in the Gaiety Theatre put on by Fred O'Donovan (qv), and was a regular in the summer cabaret shows put on in Jury's hotel, mainly for American tourists. A highlight was supporting Laurel and Hardy in the Olympia Theatre in Dublin in 1954; their films had been his childhood favourites. All the time he was increasing his skills in puppetry and ventriloquism; Lambert developed successful comedy routines, and became particularly adept at interacting with children in his audiences. Mai Lambert helped with making puppets' costumes and in many other ways, and eventually their ten children were involved in the family business, working as puppeteers, craftspeople and musicians, generally from very tender years, and as teenagers (not always enthusiastically). All the children eventually worked in various creative and theatrical professions, and maintained the puppetry traditions.

Soon after the Irish television service started transmissions in 1961, Lambert began to be involved with making children's programmes, using his puppets. The first programmes, including Carta Hudai (1962) and Murphy agus a chairde (1963–7), (both written by Pádraic O'Neill) were mostly in Irish. Brogeen follows the magic tune (1967) was based on a story by Patricia Lynch (qv), who became a friend, and lived in the Lamberts' house from 1970 until her death in 1972. Lambert realised that puppets could be used to tell stories involving magic, Irish mythology and fantasy, as well as occasional humorous contemporary allusions, and in 1967 he devised Wanderly wagon, a children's programme based round a magical horse-drawn caravan. He played the role of O'Brien in the series, alongside puppets, and actors such as Frank Kelly (1938–2016); writers such as Norah O'Mahony (qv) and Carolyn Swift (qv) were also involved. The programme ran from 1967 to 1982, and was the most popular Irish-made children's programme of its time. Lambert starred with O'Mahony and the puppet Judge the dog in magical and comical adventures. The programme provided shared and enriching experiences for several generations of Irish children, and is still regarded with affection. A later programme (1979–87), featuring Lambert's daughter Paula, about the antics of a puppet called Bosco, was equally popular.

After visits to the Harlequin Puppet Theatre in Rhos-on-Sea, Colwyn Bay, Wales, and an international puppet festival in Prague, in 1972 the Lamberts were inspired to open a puppet theatre in the mews behind their house in Monkstown, Co. Dublin. For many Dublin families, regular puppet shows there became a tradition at Christmas or in school holidays. Lambert also took his shows on tour, visiting Northern Ireland, London, the United States, Australia and Japan; the native puppetry tradition of Japan had long interested him. Several of his productions won international awards; his work for adult audiences included a puppet adaptation of 'The only jealousy of Emer', by W. B. Yeats (qv). Lambert gave an acclaimed performance in the Abbey Theatre in 1970 in an adaptation of At Swim-Two-Birds, by Flann O'Brien (qv), in which he played several parts and effectively utilised his ventriloquy skills. He was the driving force behind the International Puppet Festival of Ireland (1992–2011), much of which was held at the Lambert Puppet Theatre. Lambert inspired great affection in his audiences, and among his admirers were the singers Bono and Michael Jackson. The latter was fascinated with puppets, and came across Lambert after playing a concert in Dublin in 1992. Lambert performed a number of times for Jackson, including a private show for the singer and his three children in his Monkstown theatre in 2007.

In April 1980 Lambert was arrested by British police as he passed through Dover on his way home from France. He was suspected of having deserted from the British army in 1946 in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, and experienced a good deal of unpleasantness, held for twenty-two hours in a police cell. His family and the Irish government were able to provide proof of mistaken identity from employment records; Lambert had been working in Sligo at the time. He was released without apology after a nerve-racking few days, over which he incurred considerable legal expenses.

Lambert was committed to the work of Equity, and was treasurer for several years in the 1960s. In 1977 he was chosen Sligo Person of the Year. Always attached to his home area, he often put on shows there. He gave a prize to Feis Shligigh in honour of his mother, and he himself is remembered at the feis by the establishment of the Eugene Lambert trophy for solo mime. Two of Lambert's sons predeceased him. He died on 22 February 2010 in Monkstown, Co. Dublin. Many figures from the arts attended his funeral mass at St Patrick's Church in Monkstown, at which Liam Ó Maonlaí and Sinéad O'Connor sang; the ceremony also featured the Wanderly wagon theme and a miniature wagon. He was buried in Shanganagh cemetery, Co. Dublin. Mai Lambert died the following year.