Our Story

The Paula Lambert Puppet Theatre has been touring Ireland for over forty years now, in all of that time creating shared memories of wonder and joy for children and adults alike.

Paula Lambert is the youngest daughter of Ireland’s beloved master puppeteer, Eugene Lambert, whose seven-decade career – from Murphy Agus A Cháirde and Finnegan to Wanderly Wagon - shaped the childhoods of generations of Irish children. 

Eugene’s legacy includes the Lambert Puppet Theatre and Museum in Monkstown (established 1972), Ireland’s only permanent puppet theatre, and a family tradition of puppetry now in its third generation.

Paula Lambert has made it her life’s work to follow in her father’s footsteps, and she has worked very hard to continue to help realise Eugene’s dream that puppetry be recognised as a legitimate form of theatre.

Paula has helped to delight the imagination of Irish children since she herself was a small girl, beginning at a very early age as a puppeteer on Wanderly Wagon, first as one of the mice who lived in the wallpaper and then as one of the squirrels who lived in the loft. Paula went on to appear in the Wanderly Wagon spin-off, Fortycoats, as Spooky the Cat. 

Paula graduated in 1981 to a starring role in RTE’s children’s TV show Bosco. Bosco, the irrepressible, eternal five-year-old redhead puppet, appeared on Irish television for three decades and remains a firm favourite for each new generation, with parents taking particular joy in introducing their children to their childhood friend. 

Bosco is Bosco, not a boy, not a girl, just a Bosco, a cheeky, lovely, funny, slightly-cracked five-year-old who lives in a box and who loves nothing more than to just be Bosco and meet all the boys and girls. 

Bosco was a very loud “Yes” voice during Ireland’s 2015 marriage equality referendum, but that’s just because Bosco is very Irish and very decent and – honestly – come on, whose side did you think Bosco would be on?

A Bosco show is a completely interactive experience, with Bosco employing traditional theatre call-and-response methods to interact with the audience, and the audience – often young parents with their small kids – absolutely laps it up.

“Slapstick, silly and utterly spectacular from start to finish” said the Irish Examiner of Paula’s show “Bosco Meets Hansel and Gretel”. Touring the country with her son Johnny Lambert, a third-generation puppeteer, Paula is sure to be in your area soon.

Don’t miss the opportunity to see Bosco live!