the GREENROOM with Nik n Mik

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a lifelong creative and anthropologist walks into an office job? Nikki interviews Mik on the shift from theatre/film life into local government community development through a library service — and the weirdness of being seen as an “exotic” species in office culture. They talk stability, post-COVID recalibration, AI-era creative whiplash, boundaries, and how to keep space for making work without sacrificing mental health. Less hustle mythology, more systems reality.Support the showA Mik Allen Concepts productionwww.mikallenconcepts.com

Send us Fan MailIn episode seven of The Green Room, Mik and Nik chat about how they fell into teaching and what they’ve learned across 30+ years in performing arts. They contrast different teaching models (institutions, holiday workshops, agency-style courses, private kids’ schools) with their own performance-first approach: every class needs a clear objective and a real outcome, because the “teaching moment” is the performance itself. They unpack a practical “mud map” of how groups gel over a 10-week term, how to ride cohort ebbs and flows, and how to manage behaviour without shame by using “the work” as the neutral boundary. They argue for flexible tools, authentic communication, letting students build their own toolbox, harnessing neurodiversity creatively, and ending with a debrief week after the show—plus, if you’re not having fun, don’t do it.Support the showA Mik Allen Concepts productionwww.mikallenconcepts.com

Send us Fan MailMik and Nik reminisce about their training home: Adelaide’s old Centre for the Performing Arts (CPA) on Grote Street, a boutique TAFE acting school set inside a converted teacher’s college with its own theatre. They outline its history while noting how little of this is documented online.They describe CPA as a rough-and-ready, constantly producing “factory” shared with dance, costume/design, and tech students, where everyone learned practical skills and did public performances year-round. The acting department’s spine was David Kendall’s Laban/Yat Malmgren-based movement psychology, supported by Jen Havelberg’s movement training, and Linklater voice work—designed to create employable, hard-working actors. Alongside the Hogwarts-like chaos (car-park experiments, endless rehearsals, blunt progress panels, staff-and-student pub culture), Nik contrasts the grim, tightly controlled dance program with the more alive acting culture, and recounts switching courses after being told she was meant to be an actor. They shout out key staff like Peter Dunn, Paul Pearce and Chris Iley, mention notable grads (including Nathan O’Keefe, Renato Mussino, Kate Cheel), and end by joking that the CPA barely even had a “green room.”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drama_Centre_Londonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yat_MalmgrenActing the metaphor: the Laban–Malmgren system of movement psychology and character analysisSupport the showA Mik Allen Concepts productionwww.mikallenconcepts.com

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of the Green Room, Mik and Nik sit down on a scorching Adelaide day to discuss their thirty-year journey as a married couple in the performing arts industry. They recount the highs and lows of balancing their personal lives, careers, and raising a family. From their early days of dealing with ego and competition, to navigating the challenges of becoming parents, and the complexities of working together on various projects, they offer an honest and insightful look into their lives. They also touch on issues like mental health, gender dynamics, and the unique stressors of their profession. The episode concludes with reflections on their ongoing passion for the arts and their hopes for the future, both for themselves and their children, who are also creatively inclined.Support the showA Mik Allen Concepts productionwww.mikallenconcepts.com

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Michael and Nikki, a long-term married couple working in the Australian performing arts industry, discuss censorship and its impact on creativity and management within the arts sector. They reference recent events surrounding the 2026 Adelaide Writers Week Festival, where a Palestinian author was uninvited, leading to significant upheaval including board resignations. The discussion extends to their personal experiences with censorship in their careers and how funding bodies often control and limit creative expression. They also touch on the broader issues of political interference, the challenges of securing funding, and the evolution of festivals like Adelaide Fringe and Adelaide Festival. Recorded at Mylor Cricket Oval, the podcast reflects on the role of art in society and the importance of maintaining artistic integrity in the face of external pressures.APPLES Written by Richard MilwardAdapted & directed by John Retallackhttps://boundlesstheatre.org.uk/productions/apples/Support the showA Mik Allen Concepts productionwww.mikallenconcepts.com

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of 'The Green Room with Mik and Nik, dive deep into the shifts in audience behaviour post-COVID. They discuss the challenges performers and theatre workers face in re-engaging with audiences who have lost social play skills and respect for traditional audience norms. They also examine the impact of technology and digital spaces on these changes and highlight the evolving nature of live performance. The episode includes a historical exploration of green rooms and anecdotes about teaching theatre during the pandemic and culminates in an optimistic view of the future, emphasising the potential for new and meaningful audience connections through avant-garde theatre and creative spaces.Support the showA Mik Allen Concepts productionwww.mikallenconcepts.com

Send us Fan Mail  📍 This episode explores how audience behave as a collective organism, their rituals, their resistance to disruption, and what their reactions reveal about cultural expectation.Among other things, we talk about our unique audience experiences as well as methods and techniques for shaping an audience. We try to get at the rituals, behaviours, and social scripts that underpin all audiences as a dynamic part of any event, rather than an aggregate mass.If we can understand these fundamental components of how an audience is developed and constructed, we can use this as another creative element to be used, rather than a misunderstood, and marginalised creative element.Support the showA Mik Allen Concepts productionwww.mikallenconcepts.com

Send us Fan MailIntroducing The Green Room: A Safe Haven for PerformersIn the inaugural episode of 'The Green Room,' married duo Nikki and Michael Allen, both experienced theater professionals, introduce their podcast. Recorded on the Kaurna country of the Adelaide plains, they discuss the inspiration behind creating this safe space akin to a theater's green room, where performers can share unfiltered conversations. They delve into their personal and professional journeys, spanning over 80 years collectively in the arts, and how they've transitioned from performing to teaching and researching. This episode sets the stage for candid talks on performance, creativity, and cultural change, aiming to provide an honest, grounded, and reflective space for fellow artists.00:00 Introduction and Acknowledgment of Country00:28 First Podcast Episode: The Green Room01:12 Setting the Tone and Framework01:54 Hosts Introduction: Nikki and Michael03:22 What is the Green Room?05:31 Purpose and Vision of the Podcast11:16 Nikki's Journey and Reflections20:26 Michael's Journey and Reflections25:24 The Green Room: A Safe Space for Artists29:08 Ground Rules for the Green Room30:36 The Essence of Connection in the Green Room31:20 Unspoken Rules of the Green Room31:41 The Importance of Genuine Interaction33:44 The Sacred Space for Performers34:22 The Reality Behind the Scenes34:47 The Power of Shared Experiences36:07 The Collective Journey of Performers37:45 Why We Are Recording This39:02 Capturing Lessons for Future Generations40:03 The Intersection of Art and Academia43:05 The Impact of Theater on Lives44:37 The Journey of Our Craft01:04:58 The Ephemeral Nature of Performance01:08:56 Introducing Ourselves and Our MissionSupport the showA Mik Allen Concepts productionwww.mikallenconcepts.com