Doctor who loves pulling the strings
DR Tony Lamont spent much of his professional career in the medical field.
However in recent years, the radiologist and associate professor at James Cook University has turned his attention back towards an unusual childhood passion.
Growing up in Africa, Dr Lamont reflected fondly on his time living in Rhodesia, now known as Zimbabwe.
It was there, around the age of seven, when Dr Lamont was first introduced to puppeteering through a friend.
“One of my friends had some puppets his parents had bought, and we started with those,” he said.
“Then we made puppets and we used to do little shows for each other, for the kids down the road and then at Christmas parties.”
Dr Lamont continued making puppets and, at the age of 13, put on performances to raise money for a local blind boys scout group.
When he moved to boarding school, he was forced to put his puppeteering work on hold.
Although occasionally making small puppets, he instead focused on his career as a radiologist. Dr Lamont studied at Oxford, Sheffield, and Cape Town before moving to Brisbane and then Townsville.
He said having a creative outlet such as puppetry was integral, and the problem solving and design allowed him to explore and learn a different kind of art.
“All doctors have an element of showmanship,” he said.
“Some perform for students, some for patients, some on stage, and puppetry also gives a chance to indulge oneself.
“There is lots of design involved too, it’s the multifaceted aspect of the art that fascinates me.”
After settling down in Her- veys Range, Dr Lamont found the time to pursue his love for crafting and performing puppets.
“I made a whole Punch and Judy set, which is nine puppets,” he said.
“I had to ask my wife, Heather, how to use the sewing machine so I could make the costumes.”
Dr Lamont has recently taken his puppets on the road, performing at local festivals around Queensland including the Palm Creek Folk Festival, Ingham Italian Festival and Wintermoon.
He performed shows in Covent Garden in London for the Punch and Judy festival in May and holds a Guinness world record for taking part in the ‘ World’s Largest Busk’ held in Brisbane.
He planned to take his puppets to Italy in the future and is currently working on his next show The Three Little Pigs.
For Dr Lamont, the process of making and performing puppets is much more than painting and presenting lines. It’s a challenge that has fascinated Dr Lamont since childhood and a challenge that continues to reward him with every project he completes.
“It’s the creativity, you’ve got to work them out. There’s engineering and there’s art,” he said.