Richard James Allen

Notes

From his first professional gig as an actor in the KISS International Theatre Research Group in Holland, to ten years spent as a dancer/actor based in New York City, to returning to Australia as Artistic Director of first Tasdance in Tasmania, and then the The Physical TV Company in Sydney/Gadigal, Richard James Allen’s forty year performing career has traversed national and international theatrical venues, film festivals, and television screens in over 30 countries on six continents. Recent features and short films he has appeared in have received multiple awards and honours, including 'Woman with an Editing Bench', which won the ATOM Award for Best Short Fiction; 'Digital Afterlives', critically compared, in its “sweet whimsical humour”, to “Disney’s masterpiece ‘Fantasia’” (‘Springback Magazine’); and 'I want to make a film about women', which received 24 awards, plus a nomination for an AACTA and a longlisting for an Oscar. His performances have been described as “extraordinary” (‘ArtsHub’, Sydney), “terrifying” (‘The Village Voice’, NYC), and “ferociously watchable” (‘The Glasgow Herald’). Richard was a Finalist for Lead Performance at the Nightmares Film Festival, Columbus, Ohio, USA for his portrayal of Hans in the feature film psychological thriller 'Bloodshot Heart'. Critical praise: “A spectacular performance from Allen who captures all the little moments of someone who has suffered a traumatic event in his life and how his way of processing the events are doing more harm than good” (‘Into:Screens’). “Richard James Allen’s portrayal of Hans is something you must experience. His lovesick puppy act masks all the mysterious and deeply troubling emotions inside his head. The nuance he brings to Hans is astounding” (‘Reel News Daily’). “Adore that lead performance. Richard James Allen’s Hans moves so musically, he feels like he’s from another world” (Alexei Toliopoulos). Praise for his most recent performance, in the docudrama 'Breaking Plates', which won Best Short Documentary at the 2025 Antenna Documentary Film Festival, included: “Allen also brought, in his acting, his dancing skills, making his movements appear like he was floating in the scene” (Rochford Street Review) Showcast: https://app.showcast.com.au/profile/richardjamesallen IMBb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3700775/