Steven Berkoff

Steven Berkoff

1. Born in 1937

   • Formed his first company in the 1960s
   • He is a trained actor, playwright and director
     • Was in Rambo and Beverley Hills Cop

2. Trained at Ecole Jacque Le Coq in Paris

   • specialises in control of movements
     • Berkoff wanted to challenge theatre
       • Supreme master of physical theatre and mime

3. Influenced By:

   • Brecht's Political Theatre
     • Non Naturalistic
     • V effect
     • Aimed at the ordinary people
     • Important overarching messages
   • Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty
     • Shock Tactics
     • Extreme use of lighting, sound and music
     • Unconventional positioning of the audience

4. Physical Theatre Techniques

   • uses all body parts
   • stylised objectification
   • Extreme Facial expressions
   • Range of Vocals

5. Use of Language

   • Extremely Crude
   • Oddly poetic
   • Contrasts whats being said
     • Mother in "East"
     • Similar to Shakespearian tactics

6. Staging

   • Total Theatre
     • Minimal Sets
       • Actor Create and Become the set
         • Characterised "buildings"
   • Symbollic
     • Adds Atmosphere

7. Uses lots of Chorus

   • Convention to add to narrative
   • Theatrically Stylised

8. Famous Works

   • East
   • Greek
   • Messiah
   • Metamorphosis
   • The Fall of the House of Usher