Richard Rosson (stage name Rubber Ritchie) is a British contortionist who has come to some prominence in the British media in recent years. He has appeared on a variety of television shows, including Channel 4 News, The Richard and Judy Show, and the Saturday morning children's show Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow. Rosson has also made it into print on numerous occasions, appearing in features in The Daily Mail, The Guardian, and TNT magazine, among others.
Rosson has appeared in adverts and trailers for various products. Notably, in early 2006, Rosson acted as stunt double in a Walker's Crisps advert for ex-England footballer and BBC presenter Gary Lineker. Rosson has also had an impact on the big screen, shooting scenes as Avery the Death Eater for the blockbuster movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
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As a live performer, Rubber Ritchie has worked on a variety of stages. He began by busking at Covent Garden and was soon spotted by the Circus of Horrors. After touring with them for a period, he went solo.
He has performed at festivals, cabarets, and all manner of other shows across Europe and Asia, including appearing at The Royal Opera House, with Swamp Circus, Circus of Horrors. He regularly appears on UK television on shows such as Richard and Judy (Channel 4), Channel 4 News, Let Me Entertain You (BBC), Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow (BBC), and Prank Patrol (BBC).
When performing live, Rubber Ritchie has a variety of guises that he likes to adopt, some harking back to the oldest traditions of British vaudeville. The character he has adopted most frequently in recent times, that of his "Flex in the City" act, is a traditional bowler-hatted business gentleman. His hat and umbrella props give him the power to employ Chaplinesque slapstick into his act.
Rubber Ritchie has a loyal following, including some who show the level of fanaticism usually reserved for pop stars. One individual is known to have had Rosson's "Flex in the City" character tattooed on his forearm.
Ritchie is a bass player and has performed hundreds of music shows playing rock and funk music. He studied Politics at University College Northampton (now University of Northampton), during which time he developed his devotion to a yoga lifestyle. This consisted of daily yogic exercises or asanas, a vegan and drug-free diet, and meditation. He developed his contortionist act out of a mixture of advanced yoga postures and city banking. Rubber Ritchie is also a qualified Sivananda Yoga teacher. He is a strong advocate of veganism.