Richard-Lael Lillard is a gentleman with a rather unusual resumé. Actor. Writer. Director. Nothing too out of place there, until you read further: Occultist, paranormal investigator and most importantly, a psychic with a penchant for puppetry. A self-proclaimed collector of oddities, Richard-Lael Lillard has been busy brewing his own concoction of performing arts with a dash of the peculiar.
Puppetry is more than just The Muppets; It stands as one of the most long-lasting, primal and, when done right, mystical ways of telling stories we have. Lillard, who is no stranger to the thrilling realm of theatre, guides us through the significance of puppetry as a platform for expression and how his supernatural skills sparked an undying love for the artform.
“As a boy, I felt alive at the theatre; it was pure magic.”
For Lillard, being on stage was an opportunity for him to step into someone else’s shoes and embody the very essence of what makes them tick. However, unbeknownst to him, Lillard was actually tapping into something unexplainable and not of this world. “At the time, I didn’t realise that I had been channelling the energies of the people I was playing.”
Channelling is a term used interchangeably with mediumship, and pertains to the ability of connecting with the spiritual world. Since then, Lillard has honed his otherworldly skills to craft his own personal brand of creative expression.
Haunted dolls in action. Photo credit: Richard-Lael Lillard
Lillard proudly introduces his vintage collection of marionettes: “The Devil”, “Asmodeus” and their little brother, “Scratch”, who all date back to 1930s Czechoslovakia. Although Lillard had an affinity for marionettes when he was young, as an adult, he felt uncertain about them. It wasn’t until a close friend of his prophesied Lillard would begin dreaming of the odd little puppets that he began to change his mind. Who knows if it was influence or his friend noticed the spark it brought to Lillard’s eyes - but believe it or not, those entrancing marionettes crept their way into his dreams that night.
Lillard now lovingly refers to them as his “haunted dolls” and mentions a time where one of them clicked its heels against the mirror, almost like they were demanding to be played with. “They capture the spirit of entertainment,” Lillard smiles.
The dolls have become a regular feature on his YouTube channel, The Gentleman Psychic and have certainly added to his strange, yet fascinating persona. The narratives are often rooted in myths and folklore, and inspired by his adventures into the occult. The stories may seem abstract or archetypal, but it has given him a way in to approach difficult and heavy-hitting subjects. This is part of the allure of puppetry: it has the capability to express tricky topics in a light-hearted manner. “They can say things that I cannot say”. The dolls, in a sense, act as a filter between himself and the audience. “The art of puppetry is rooted in reality,” Lillard beams. “I found that if you throw in some humour, it makes it more palatable.”
Marionette Circus. Painting by Richard-Lael Lillard
And his creative streak doesn’t lose its magickal charge there. Lillard also draws and paints his own backdrops for the performances, and shares the process with all of his 13k followers on Instagram. Lillard discovered his flair for fine art at the age of 21, after being asked by his ballet mistress to paint the backdrop for the upcoming ballet production. He found himself channelling his artistic energies in a new way; through the paintbrush. “Often what I drew when I was younger is reminiscent of my life now,” Lillard says. “You’d be surprised how many creatives and artists have psychic abilities”.
Lillard takes joy in the re-emergence of puppetry in popular culture with satirical TV shows like Spitting Image finding themselves back in the public eye. Originally created in 1984 for ITV, it has now been rebooted for both the UK and US markets. The show is rooted in its ability to challenge political ideologies, all through the more digestible medium of comical caricatures. It joins a number of contemporary takes on the classic mediums, such as Judy and Punch, a 2019 film that follows two puppeteers as they attempt to resurrect their marionette show. These modern revivals of the ancient artform challenges the audiences to question their own perspectives of puppetry and move beyond them.
Puppetry may be niché, especially when in the hands of Lillard, but there is no questioning the significant role it plays in helping express what it means to be human. We are built on storytelling; it’s how we react to, process and channel the chaos we see in the world around us. Transformative and meaningful pieces of arts have the potential to ignite societal change as they’ve proven to do throughout history. It has survived for over three millenniums, and should undoubtedly survive for three more.
And as Lillard proudly and poignantly states, “as long as storytelling exists, there will always be a market for puppetry”.