The Yorkton Exhibition Summer Fair always has a wide variety of entertainment for people of all ages. This year, one of the acts was Tim Holland the Puppet Tamer. The ventriloquist had a couple different shows, both on the grounds and on the curling rink stage.
The two shows were tailored to their context. On stage, Holland had several characters, while walking around he was in a giant inflatable chef's suit and was on stilts. The stage show also had more physical flexibility, as Holland does not have to worry about the limitations that the suit creates.
"Really it's about amplification. I don't have a speaker system when I'm outside, so it's much more intimate, I have to be closer to be people by necessity," Holland says.
Holland's career started with stunt performing, with juggling and riding unicycles, but he says he wanted to do more character work.
"I guess it all started with wanting to talk to something I was juggling, and I got my first puppet that way, and it just kind of took off from there," he says.
Working as a ventriloquist is an unconventional career, but Holland says he is drawn to unconventional skills, and enjoys the challenges of working for himself and improving his abilities.
"I really like juggling and I really like odd things that you really have to persevere and be your own teacher and look for things to improve. I like that challenge."
The only real issue comes with being a larger than life character, Holland admits, since some kids can be intimidated by someone on stilts in a giant inflatable outfit.
"There's the occasional child that I scare, but I've been really surprised. This is the first time I've had the puppet on the stilt character, and it works really well to ease the tension, if kids are a little afraid they can focus on the puppet, just because it's such a huge character I think it's scary to see it moving around for some small kids," he says.
The Summer Fair has been a positive experience for Holland, and he says that he has enjoyed interacting with people on the grounds and seeing their reactions to his characters.
