Joseph Charles Lambert (c. 1803 – 29 April 1875), generally referred to as J. C. Lambert, was an English comic actor who had a significant career in Australia.

History

Lambert was born in

Wells-next-the-Sea Wells-next-the-Sea is a port town on the north coast of Norfolk, England. The civil parish has an area of and in 2001 had a population of 2,451,Office for National Statistics & Norfolk County Council (2001). Census population and household c ...

, Norfolk England, He arrived in Australia around 1855, in which year he was playing in a farce, ''Shocking Events'', at the

Victoria Theatre, Sydney The Royal Victoria Theatre was a theatre in Sydney, Australia, the first large theatre in the city. It opened in 1838; operas, plays, pantomimes and other events were held, and leading entertainers performed at the theatre. It was destroyed by f ...

, although it is possible he appeared in Adelaide four years earlier. He was a member of the consortium that leased the

Theatre Royal, Melbourne The Theatre Royal was one of the premier theatres for nearly 80 years in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 1855 to 1932. It was located at what is now 236 Bourke Street, once the heart of the city's theatre and entertainment distri ...

1866–1867. He made a speciality of playing crusty old men: Sir Peter Teazle in ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sna ...

'', Sir Anthony Absolute in ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

'' Sir John Vesey in ''

Money Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as ...

''. He took his farewell bows on 27 February 1868 and left Australia by the ship ''Reigate'' on 21 March. The promised autobiography never eventuated. He died at his home "Buttlands", Wells-next-sea, Norfolk, England, of a heart complaint, which he attributed to a stage accident, when a fellow thespian playfully struck him on the chest, where he had secreted a bag of pebbles, as a

stage prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...

for a bourse of gold.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lambert, Joseph 1800s births 1875 deaths 19th-century Australian male actors Australian theatre managers and producers British emigrants to the Colony of New South Wales