A Level Drama & Component 1 - Steven Berkoff 1937 - Present Theatre Studies Practitioners

Biographical Info Beliefs & Early Years Key Words Relating to Berkoff

Berkoff trained as an actor at the Webber Douglas Academy in Total Theatre Total Theatre maintains that every aspect of theatre London and studied movement at the Laban School of Dance in must have purpose: every movement, that is Morely College and later went to the Ecole Internationale de choreographed; to each line, that is learned perfectly; Theatre de Jaques Lecoq in Paris. These are key to his creative work. to each lighting effect, that is used to convey a mood He worked as a mime and physical theatre practitioner at Webber or message; to each sound effect, that enhances the Douglas and first experimented with The Trial using an ensemble of audience’s experience; to each prop that has a use. students. In 1968, Berkoff formed the London Theatre Group and like another The aim of Total Theatre is to create extreme moods influential actor/director, Laurence Olivier, proceeded to write, direct to give the audience an overwhelming experience and and perform with his own company. to shock, amuse, scare, or amaze them. What sets Berkoff apart from theatre is his focus on non-naturalism, his As a result of Total Theatre, performances are often attention on movement rather than voice. As an actor, director and minimalist, with bare stages and little language so that Born 3rd August 1937 · playwright and general non-conformist, Berkoff wanted to shake the focus remains on the physical movement · From Stepney, London. naturalistic theatre and encourage experimentation. · Actor, Director, Writer Mie ‘Mie’ – when the actor strikes a pose and holds it for Berkoff was a marxist and so often his politics would be mirrored in his a while – rest of cast freeze. · Born Leslie Steven Berks productions. · Romanian Jewish background.

Audience Address/Direct Address Mime Influenced by: Legacy Physicality Music & sound Brecht– In particular the Exaggeration Projections (set) Verfremdungseffekt which Berkoff uses in East is often cited as the main influence for the 1990s style of 'in-yer- Repetition East where actors destroy naturalism by face' theatre, such as Harry Gibbson's stage adaptation of Irvine Walsh's addressing the audience. book Trainspotting, and Northern Stages production of A Clockwork Kabuki Movement is considered to be elegant and grand. Artaud- wanted to move from staid Orange by Anthony Burgess. John Godber was influenced by Berkoff, Very melodramatic in style. structured melodrama towards a particularly with his play Bouncers. Most performers that have trained Stylised gesture and forms – performance is like a theatre reinvigorated by danger and in Lecoq will recognise the influence Berkoff has had on their theatre slow dance. (Similar to the kata and martial arts) cruelty, using the power of words and making, or recognise him as a significant energy coming from that gestures to release emotions. Berkoff discipline. followed Artaud and wrote his own Three Theatre Manifestos, and in the Companies such as Theatre de Complicite applied their style to the documentary Changing Stages, Berkoff reworking of classic texts and created new work in collaboration with talks of the influence of Artaud. writers. In the 1990s young experimental companies such as Volcano Lecoq- Berkoff studied with Claude and Frantic Assembly developed their now trade mark style, fusing Chagrin, a pupil of Jacques Le Coq, and physical theatre, choreography and text. The cross-over between dance later briefly with Le Coq himself. Le and theatre was also explored by dance companies such as DV8 whose Coq's mime, movement, masks, and work bares resemblance to that of Pina Bausch. ensemble acting are all characteristic of Berkoff. Contemporary companies such as Idle Motion are great examples of Lawrence Olivier & Edward Kean young ensembles using physical storytelling for this generation. A Level Drama & Component 1 – Constantin Stanislavski 1863-1938 Theatre Studies Practitioners

Plays & Productions Methods & Techniques East. West. Messiah: Scenes from a Crucifixion. Berkoff tells stories in a poetic and heightened way, The Secret Love Life of Ophelia. both vocally and physically using minimal set and a Decadence. non- naturalistic style with lighting and music. Harry’s Christmas. Characters use a mix of poetic language, sometimes Massage. Shakespearean, often vulgar and muscular, almost Acapulco. physical. Imagine throwing their words out into the Brighton Beach Scumbags. air. One Man. Shakespeare’s Villains. Berkoff’s early work is based on classical Greek texts Requiem for Ground Zero. and contemporary modern day verse in an ensemble Metamorphosis. environment. Berkoff often uses the chorus in a The Trial. stylised sequence of movement, usually heightened The Fall of the House of Usher. both vocally and physically. Just like a traditional Agamemnon. Greek chorus they reflect the mood of the story and express what the main characters cannot say. He uses bouffon as well as chorus. The Kabuki concept of jo-ha-kyo is common in Berkoff’s work. Scenes are done at a certain pace; the action is slow, speeds up and ends quickly. This Japanese concept governs actions of actors, structures of plays and scenes. To break it down further, jo is a slow and auspicious beginning (the way Berkoff often introduces character and plot), ha speeds events up (Berkoff often uses this and culminates the story with a moment of tragedy) and ku is a short, satisfying conclusion. Many of Berkoff’s characters move on quickly after tragedy.