Rik was often in trouble at school for impersonating the teachers and being the class clown. Rik found school on the whole boring, schools did not encourage the things pupils really wanted to do like being a 'ROCK STAR' or fly to the moon lets say. I mean be fair, how is cutting up cows eyes or chopping up frogs going to help someone who wants to be in show business? Unless you are Ozzy Osbourne that is! Mind you one of Rik's school pals did do fantastic in biology and metal work and claims he is great at welding cats but that's another story.
Rik didn't stay at school till he was sixteen like other kids, he packed his bags and ran away with the Fair getting a job on the dodgems for a pound a day. Not a lot of money I grant you but still he felt like now he was performing in some way and getting the attention that all entertainers crave. However it was not all it was cracked up to be, having to share a tiny caravan with a guy who drank sour milk, and who had a fridge with mushrooms growing inside it. Rik decided he had had enough and went home, that was when his luck changed, his brother John had just left the army and somehow had found himself singing in a comedy show group called 'Ice Blue'. Rik would go and help the band by being a roadie and would beg John to let him get up and do some impressions of Norman Wisdom or Zippy and George from TV's Rainbow, before long Rik was on the pay role at £5.00 a gig. All was well till the band fell apart OOPS no more gigs. Rik was gutted but fate took another twist - an invention was brought to the UK in the mid 80's to change the face of entertainment! yes 'KARAOKE'. Rik's brother John was asked by Kim Holmes of 'Show Business Agency' to present these new machines all around the pubs of Nottingham, he agreed but soon hit a problem when it became obvious no one wanted to get up and sing so between them they decided to create a small competition and give the best singer a prize. Rik got up and won every night until Kim Holmes said enough was enough and advised him to get on the road himself, gave him an audition for Flamingo Land Zoo and Theme park. He did the audition but didn't hear anything right away so he decided to audition for every agent he could, infact he did so many auditions he thought his name was NEXT! Anyway he did land a contract for the Pete Corby Agency and Rik was off to work as a Singer/Comedian in Tenerife. It was a tough demanding period with long hours so Rik was very pleased when he got a call from Flamingo Land offering him a contract. Not only was Rik to be a comic singer but the Entertainment Manager as well. Rik was on the first flight back to the UK . . .he turned up at Flamingo Land and was greeted by Trevor Pullin the Director who instructed Rik on his duties (get this . . .) Perform a 10 minute robotic talking chimp show 6 times a day from 12 noon till 6 p.m. 7 days a week plus sell bingo tickets and call bingo at 7 p.m. plus compare and perform own act in two different rooms one adult one family 7 days a week till 12 midnight also organise the entertainment program, book the acts and invent in house shows (Phew!).
Rik thought it was a joke, Trevor said "if you worked hard enough it would pay off in the future" . . . . what about now asked Rik? to which the reply came . . . "from the chance I'm giving you, you should be paying me", how right he was. Rik started there weighing thirteen and a half stone and within two months he was nine and a half stone. Although he was losing weight he was gaining experience and fast, for example one of the bands he booked was 'Black Lace' who at that time where very popular. Rik used to join in with them on stage during their party dance set. (Fact) Rik was the first person at a holiday park to play . . . 'I am the music man' . . . he also had the job of promoting it and getting other holiday parks to play the song because Flamingo land sponsored them, (he had to do it free of course - it would pay in the future!) the song was a 'Top 40 hit' and Rik was proud to be part of that.
The next year Flamingo Land rebooked him (no pay rise) but they did give him a day off, they also made him manager of rides, slides shows and attractions (Rik never got a day off!)
Rik spent four happy years at Flamingo Land learning every art of show business whether it was a 'Ring Master' in a circus or singing on a roller coaster he did the lot, Through word of mouth a man came specially to watch Rik, the man's name was Bill Maynard (GREEN GRASS from TV's HEART BEAT) he gave Rik a pantomime at Guilford Civic Hall as principal comic 'Simple Simon'. It was there that BBC TV spotted Rik and offered him 'Play Days' he turned it down after making just one pilot thinking it was to babyish (what a mistake). From that Pantomime Michael Barrymore offered him a summer season at the BIC Bournemouth but he turned that down (not a mistake) instead taking a contract on with Nick Thomas and Jon Conway Europe's largest production company now know as Qdos. He was booked to perform as comic magician fire eater and vocalist in three different shows TV's 'Rock with Laughter', 'Summer Sensation' & 'Comedy Express' the shows where a hit and Rik was again rebooked for their pantomimes and summer shows for the next four years.
Keen to move on and see the world Rik went on to be booked by Thompson Holidays as a touring comedy act appearing at some of the best hotels and cruise ships in the world, he did this for nine months then went on to compare Miss United Kingdom (what a job!). Qdos booked Rik for a touring show for Haven Holidays it was a Pantomime in the day and a production show at night and he would be top of the bill, the only trouble was they needed to cast another guy that would not clash with Rik so Rik put forward Nik Martin that he had known from years before having rehearsed together for 'Rock With Laughter'. They agreed, thank god they did because magic happened they wrote together a song called the 'Mexican wave' and it became an over night hit in the holiday parks, before long everyone wanted a piece of 'RIK&NIK THE PARTY KICK' they wrote around 20 songs together each one a massive hit in the holiday parks. Rik & Nik were also offered a recording contract by a major label but decided to promote themselves to protect there rights. One of the biggest songs they reinvented was 'The Purple People Eater' they still play that in almost every park in Europe along with other songs they wrote like 'Oodoo the Voodoo man' . . . 'The Caribbean Way' . . . 'The Best Dance Of All Time' etc. etc., Demands on Rik and Nik to perform live got so high that they had to break up in to two teams one in the North of England one in the South, doing thousands of miles a week sometimes three shows a night. It was a shattering tour and Rik and Nik never got to work together again, each one was tugged by different companies to write as individuals but to this day they remain friends.
So what is Rik doing now? OK Rik is now one of the UK's fastest growing producers, he currently writes and directs shows, jingles and new party songs, etc for major holiday parks. Many of the holiday parks that have used Rik's Talents including 'John Fowler Holiday's' based around Cornwall and Devon also 'Cinque Port Leisure' based in the south east and west plus 'Haven' & 'Bourne Leisure Nationwide' also including 'Great British Holidays Nationwide' back in touch for new projects are 'Flamingo Land North Yorkshire' and not forgetting 'UK Productions' one of the largest producers of pantomimes and musicals in the UK and many other clients on a smaller level that require that personal touch. Rik's songs are played all over the world and he receives fan mail from countries including Hungary, Russia and Poland.
Last Christmas Rik directed and starred at the 'Mansfield Palace Theatre', the first time he has participated in both roles at the same time, it was a massive hit - breaking all records. This pantomime season Rik has been asked to direct three Pantomimes and star in one at the same time.
Rik loves pantomime (Fact - he has done over 20) and has worked and written with for many Celebrities such as 'Sid Owen' (That's Ricky Butcher - TV's East Enders) Danced many times and been paid for it by the way with 'Wayne Sleep', acted with 'Ray Meager' (Alf from Home and Away) 'Chris Ellison' (Burnside from TV's 'The Bill) 'Bodger and Badger' also 'Joe Lonthorne' 'Linda Lusardi' (page 3 girl) 'Ruth Madoc' (from TV's Hi de HI) and more . . .
Many of the
top stars have been in the audience and been the butt of his manic slapstick routines . .
. TV celebrities like 'Ant' from Ant & Dec . . . 'Jayne Seymour' . . . 'Tony Robinson'
(Baldrick from Blackadder) . . . Russell Grant got a pie (he should have seen it coming)
the list goes on.
Sadly, Rik will only perform a handful of gigs this year . . . he's busy being creative in the office writing, but if you do catch his show be sure to e-mail us your comments.