About me, Richard.
A string of amazing events lead me to where I am right now. Here are the key points in a swift and informative flow. They key CV points are in bold.
The short personal version is:
I love humans, connection, games, play, clown and mask theatre, breathing, music, magic, groups, circles, ukuleles, farce theatre, sharing, silence, forests, balls, sticks, rooms to roll around in and stages to run around on, pianos, growing and museli.
The short professional version.
Born in in 1985.
Ive been exploring as a performer and Teacher / facilitator since 2010.
Ive trained intensively Physical Theatre and have been most influenced by my time at the renowned Ecolé Philippe Gaulier (Where i have been an assistant teacher) Atelier Matteo Destro (Where i am a returning guest teacher) and Giovani Fusetti (Helikos) (With whom i am mentored in the pedagogic field)
I give workshops in Silent Play, Awareness of the idiot - Clown, Mask Theatre, State of play.
Along with a Personal development play workshop for men. The Male idiot.
I have performed the Last 10 years with Barada Street (Music Acrobatic Comedy Show) around the world.
I currently work on a solo tragic comedy show now exploring Masculinity. Currently called 'Masks of Linity'
Corona lockdowns turned me into a Magician. So the 'Maybe Magic' show is currently a big part of my life.
For 5 years i have created, program and run Gut Alaune Festival from the playns a performance music festival in Germany.
The long more informative experience version is:I graduated university studying Illustration 2006. In 2008 I left England to travel to Asia and back again. Photography lead the way, capturing all those fascinating things i didn't understand but captured my intrigue. On this 18 month journey I discovered traveling by bicycle and eventually worked and traveled with an environmental project promoting action on climate change. ‘Ride Planet Earth’ Through this I discovered and joined a social circus / environmental / project. ‘2wheels4change’ from www.jonglirium.com where I discovered Clown, theatre, Music and community.
After many projects and journeys with 2wheels4change I felt a call in my chest to learn more of clown & performance. I headed for Spain where I studied with Hernan Gene and Gabriel Chame Buendia at “Chame and Gene Estudios Teatrales" My first official theatre class. Wow! I fell in love with education for the first time in my life! I needed more. This lead to me discovering Jacques Lecoq lineage of physical theatre work. Long story short, a couple of years later I Graduated with Clown Guru Philipe Gaulier at his school in France. (Where i work now as a guest assistant teacher) Trained Mask Movement Theatre & Mask Making in Italy with Matteo Destro, Where I am now a guest teacher of 'le jeu' and trained Physical Theatre Pedagogy and Clown with Giovanni Fusetti.
These three are the teacher who have most influenced my work.
In between, a mountain full of shorter term trainings gave me vital input and inspiration.
I trained directing and devising techniques from ‘Told by and idiot’ with Paul Hunter. Ensemble and Puppetry work with Complicité and graduated Sarah Wrights School of Curious Puppetry. Along with continuing my clown exploration with SpyMonkeys Aitor Basauri & Tobi Park & Vivian Gladwell & Angela Hopkins at Nose to Nose.
Throughout the years I trained Music, Magic, Juggling, Acrobatics and Pantomime through my own exploration.
In 2015 I based myself in Germany (Close from Halle Saale) and started a Community Project with around 10 people. www.gutalaune.de and started my further exploration of Humans, Communication, Emotional expression, collective living and well… life.
Some inspiration in these areas of dance with the Human soul come from my work with and readings of, The Heros Journey (Paul Rebillot), Scott Peck, Francis Weller and Grief Work, Possibility Management, Jungian psychology, IFS and part work by Richard Schwartz and of course my theatre teacher and pedagogic mentor, Giovanni Fussetti - and his work on integration of personal process into theatre with a lineage of Willhelm Reich & Alexandre Lowen - Bioenergetic Analysis, Gestalt Therapy and Arnold Mindels - Process orientated Phycology.
My personal creative work, performing and teaching goes under the name “From The Playns”. Where I continue to follow my interests and dream up workshops and events to bring people closer to themselves and each other through play and theatre.
I am theatrical director and producer of Barada Street A Comedy, Music, Acrobatic Duo that performs at theatre & music festivals around the world since 2013.
Since 2018 I am artistic directer and programmer for Gut Alaune Festival From The Playns.(See festival Page) Inviting World Class acts to play for my local community, celebrating life through the stage.
I co created and toured with Plague of Idiots in UK and Australia. and work with Clowns Without Boarders UK bringing laughter relief to conflict zones worldwide. As well as teaching theatre workshops, I facilitate and host various artistic and group projects with Jonglirium e.V and Nomadways. Along with exploring facilitation of group process work.
I am currently working on a tragic comic solo theatre show, 'The Masks Of Linity' Inspired by the work through the male idiot workshop.
I currently dive deeper into the world of Magic. With my comedy magic show 'Maybe Magic'
Through training and performing i have developed an interest in exploring the a=state of play and teaching “awareness” of the performer, of the audience, of each other and of course of ones self.
I enjoy to understand humanity and the world through these mediums.
My work is fuelled by an exploration of humans, of play and connection. The search for where one has pleasure, for where one is beautiful and vulnerable, how one is vital and special, and of course… how to share this with the audience and each other.
The space between audience and performer is a very special one for me. Where gods and muses roam. I enjoy to explore within and create spaces for this ritual.
I am currently in life and location changes, working on some new show ideas and workshop creations in between touring, teaching, living & loving.. oh and eating museli.
For more information please contact Richard.
Here is a little promo video page.
