Steven Berkoff (Berkovian Theatre)

Steven Berkoff (Berkovian Theatre)

1. Quotes

   • 'It's anyone's trial'
   • 'All props should be priceless and precious onstage'
   • 'The cast are the environment of K'
   • 'In the end there is only the actor, his body, his mind and voice... the actor exists without the play... he can improvise, be silent, mime, make sounds and be a witness' - Berkoff Three Theatre Manifesto's, 1978
   • 'To express drama in the most vital way imaginable; to perform at the height of one's powers with all the available means. That is through the spoken word, gesture, mime and music. Sometimes the emphasis on one, sometimes on the other.' Berkoff and the London group Mission Statement, 1973'

2. Techniques

   • mime
   • asides
   • direct address
   • soundscape
   • Exaggerated vocals
   • highly choreographed
   • stylised movement
   • improvisation
   • tableaux
   • actor asathlete

3. Aims

   • excite
   • surprise
   • engage
   • abition

4. Productions

   • In the Penal Colony (1968)
   • Salome (1988)
   • East (1975)
   • Metamorphosis (1969)
   • decadence (1981)

5. Inspirations

   • Le Coq
   • Bunraku
   • Kabuki Theatre
   • Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty
   • Brechtian Epic

6. Aesthetics

   • minimal props
   • Use of masks
   • harsh soundtrack
   • painted floors
   • total theatre
   • architectural/ functional set