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“There’s a reason why I keep talking about childish wonder. I really think small surprises, like connecting to a random artist at a random moment at a random street while you were just walking down to buy your cigarettes or baguette or whatever, is a serious contributor to — broadly speaking — a happier life.”—Holle of Harkel’s Puppetry for Bette Dangerous
Author intro: I’ve been returning to Galway since May of last year. Any chance I get, I wander the medieval quarter, always seeking sacred spaces. Galway is a city filled with intrigue, magic, music and madness. It’s a city where, as an American linguist told me at an Irish-language play in a castle, ‘ambition goes to die.’ The arts and artists are thriving in Galway, as I shared with you in this recent post from my Galway Series:
The artist featured in that report told me when I bumped into him recently: “I have no hate in my heart.” That is a sound way to walk through life. Today’s report is about my friend Holle, a Hungarian puppeteer performing in Galway. I hope you enjoy the magic and the wonder.—hsc
A Happier Life: Holle and The Cellist
An interview with a Hungarian puppeteer in the heart of Galway. Part of a series of culture reports from Co Galway Ireland
I recall my first afternoon in Galway.
I was walking through the medieval streets near Eyre Square, moving from busker to busker, coins falling out of my pocket.
I met one of my favorite artists that first day, Sailhym (formerly, Katie O’Connor).
I picked up Sailhymn’s CD, Trust, and it’s perfection.
Any excuse I can muster, I find myself going back to Galway.
Galway artist Don Stiffe even wrote a song about this phenomenon — it is a hit in my home.
As I was making the busking rounds through the streets of Galway one day, dropping coins in the cases of bass players and street drummers, I heard the notes of Hallelujah on cello beckoning me.
I made my through the gathered crowd and saw that what I was hearing was coming from a puppeteer playing a Jeff Buckley-esque version of Hallelujah. That his outfit directly matched his puppet’s outfit, and that the puppet tipped his hat toward me with his puppet fingers, and then his eyes fluttered, well okay… I was enchanted.
Holle and The Cellist on the Seine
I had just finished making all the plans for my wedding, no small feat, never having been a wedding planner.
Rather than fight the fact I was in charge of logistics, I dusted off my director’s hat and engaged my inner Jean-Luc Godard.
I turned to my now-husband and said: “Can we please get the puppeteer at the wedding?”
I imagine hitting knees to cobblestone and pleading with him, but that’s not what happened.
We were over budget, out of time, and my husband’s joke was: “We’re going to need a bigger boat.”
What began as a small family gathering in Paris was turning into a lost Alain Resnais film.
With this puppeteer, it could be a Jean Cocteau mise-en-scène on the Seine!
In reality, my husband said, “Sure.”
He, too, could recognize genius.
And we did, indeed, need to get a bigger boat.
I had a vision of guests arriving on the boat, and the first thing they would see is this puppeteer.
I tracked him down and he said, yes. He could meet us in Paris on a Monday on a boat.
Holle of Harkel’s Puppetry would not only help elevate our wedding to magical perfection, performing such songs as The Swan, Hallelujah, Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters, Joe Hisaishi’s Merry-Go-Round of Life and Amazing Grace, he would become a friend.
And now, when I’m in Galway, I see him and stop and think about that Best Monday Ever — the nickname for our wedding from one of the guests who attended.
One day, I’ll write about the after-party, when my friends from Byline Times and family members kept the staff at Caveau des oubliettes in the Latin Quarter up waaaay past bedtime. Lol. But not today.
What follows is my Q&A with Holle about the art of puppetry and why he brings a pocketful of childish wonder wherever he and his puppet, The Cellist, show up:
Heidi: Where does this story begin for you?
Holle: My puppeteer journey started when I was a young hitch-hiker, traveling around Europe. I was in Paris one day, where I saw a street puppeteer, who grabbed my attention, and that experience connected me to my childhood love for all that is puppetry. I’ve always been a creative person, doing arts from a young age, so I decided to give puppetry a go, creating my own puppets down the line.
Heidi: Do you have a moment when you knew this work would be your destiny?
Holle: I’m not a big believer in superstitious concepts, but I guess there were many moments instead of a singular one, where I knew I was on the right track. It’s hard to pick one, as when I perform on the streets small-big moments happen almost daily, and it’s always related to how the audience - who can be any member of the public - is touched by my work. I think it takes more effort these days to get lost in a piece of art or performance, and when I see that kind of childish wonder on my audience’s faces I know there’s some sort of a reason to do what I do.
Heidi: Can you share any stories about Hungary.
Holle: I had my workshop for years in a little house in the countryside in Hungary, where I’m from, and where I had done a TV-show as a puppeteer, and it’s genuinely a welcoming place for puppeteers, even if it’s not as famous for the art-form as Prague. But I always felt the need to move.
Heidi: Why Galway?
Holle: Galway is this special place. There’s a short saying you might think is associated with George Lucas’ Return of the Jedi, but I’m pretty sure he took it from the people who migrate to Galway. And I can confirm what they say.. “It’s a trap!” For any artistically wired person it’s obviously one of the most artsy places you can find on the planet, at least at this size. Which I have to say is a huge part of the deal. Galway has the scenery, the arts, the craic, the people, the busking community, but also it’s so compact, and can be so quiet, it’s just good for the soul.
Heidi: Oh, I feel that. What makes your craft different from other entertainment? How does the puppet add to the viewers’ experience?
Holle: I think puppetry, or viewing puppetry, especially these days is a challenge. It is unique and takes a few extra steps to really appreciate it. I see how people react to it, and it sometimes does not go from a “wow, it’s something different” to “how is this possible? I’m mesmerized (which is the goal in my mind)” smoothly always. I think it is because we are so trained to have a shorter attention span these days, and also to be overly analytical without taking things for what they are sometimes, without giving their childish wonder a chance. I truly wish to experience what I do as a viewer one day, then I could answer this question maybe better.
Heidi: How long have you been performing in matching outfits? Does the puppet have a name? And if so, why that name?
Holle: I think I came up with the matching outfit a decade ago, not like it’s a brilliant idea, many puppeteers have a mini version of themselves. I really just wanted to communicate to people that it is my creation, but then they just love the picture of us looking the same. As for a name, I usually refer to him as The Cellist, but you could call him H as well.
Heidi: How do you choose the music?
Holle: I tend to choose songs which are emotional, or have a personal meaning for me, but then I always check what works on the street. Think about the music as an atmospheric backdrop, a theme for the streets.
Heidi: What is the best part of the work for you?
Holle: The money, they say it cannot buy happiness but I beg to differ... On a serious note, this line of work gives me such freedom. Freedom to travel, to pick my sick days as I choose, to work as much or as little as I need at the moment, and to meet people, and to introduce puppetry from a different perspective to the world. There’s also a reason why I keep talking about childish wonder, I really think small surprises like connecting to a random artist at a random moment at a random street while you were just walking down to buy your cigarettes or baguette or whatever is a serious contributor to — broadly speaking — a happier life.
Heidi: Any comment about playing in Paris at our wedding, which was an honor for us that you came.
Holle: Fabulous venue! Also, great meeting you, and loved how our meeting added something more to each of our summers.
Heidi: So true! What is the greatest response you have received?
Holle: “Seeing you here makes my day every time.”
Heidi: Next steps in your journey?
Holle: I came to a point in my life now where I don’t want to plan out too much. I think it’s time to go more with the flow and drive down to a new city whenever the feeling takes me there. I will definitely experiment with new street acts too, but I also came to appreciate what I have through how others appreciate me. So maybe I won’t ever make a groundbreaking act, I know I still will be adding something to this world and that’s the most precious to me.
You can find Holle with Harkel’s Puppetry performing in the heart of medieval Galway, Ireland, and you can follow his work on Instagram at Harkel’s Puppetry.
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