Biography
Rik has been an Actor and Improvisor for the past 20 odd years. He has been involved with numerous improvised Melbourne International Comedy and Fringe Festival shows, including Late Nite Impro, Celebrity Theatresports ™ , Sondheim Unscripted, Bingo Board of Doom, Impro3Shuffle, Puppy Fight Social Club, Ultimate Board Game Unscripted, Word/Play, Spark! and Spontaneous Broadway.
He often pops up on the TV trying to sell you things, from Fox Footy Channels to Tic-Tacs and from Worksafe initiatives to Nissan X-trails, his face is proven to make you want to buy stuff.
He also proved himself a master of disguise in ABC3's popular show Prank Patrol, where he used his variety of skills to get children to embarrass themselves.
Teaching background:
Rik has been a member of Impro Melbourne for the past 15 years. He has taught and performed improvisation throughout Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Italy, Germany and The Netherlands. Rik is known for his mischievous style, sharp mind and strong grasp of Character and Narrative. He brings a playful and engaging approach to the art of improvisation.
Rik’s Workshops
BEAT CAFE
Come and let the language loose!
This workshop focuses on finding the joy in words and uses Spoken Word poetry to help free our minds and our tongues. The Beat Cafe format then uses these improvised spoken word poems to inspire characters scenes and stories.
A great chance to stretch some different improv muscles while also flexing some that are already no doubt well defined.
SOLO IMPROV
Solo Improv is an unusual beast in an art form that is known for its collaboration and teamwork, but how can we collaborate with others if we can't first collaborate with ourselves? This workshop will focus on creating and transitioning between multiple characters, finding the game with yourself, and feeling confident on a stage that only has you on it.
CHARACTER BOOTCAMP
'Character Bootcamp' is a fun-filled workshop designed to broaden your character toolkit. Designed to ignite creativity and deepen your improvisational skills, this workshop helps you discover new ways to build compelling characters on the spot, sharpening your ability to transform in the moment.
Whether you're a seasoned improviser or just starting out, come and explore the endless possibilities of character creation.
PEAS IN A POD:
Two characters with matching status who like each other can be a wonderful catalyst for joyful play. This workshop will allow you to dive deep into this character dynamic and get your collaborative blood pumping as you go in search of fun and friendship!
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE:
‘Stuck in the Middle’ is an energetic and entertaining format which involves one performer being ‘stuck’ on stage for the entirety of the performance, with no option but to go along with every offer, character, scene or genre that is being thrown at them.
This workshop will focus on the skills that help this format fly: following your impulses, supporting your scene partner and the shape of the show, and will help you stretch your narrative and character skills.
Gallery
Student Testimonials:
"Rik's strength lies in keeping the students constantly engaged and attempting to play all the time."
"Introduce skills and ideas step by step. Positive, warm teaching style. Very organised. Repetition of skills with different exercises, so you practised things many times in different ways."
"Support of students. Explains things in an easy to understand way."