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The Collected Plays: Volume I
Steven Berkoff is a rare kind of dramatist. His plays are theatrically exciting as well as popular--and here is the evidence, collected into the first of two volumes, together with a new Introduction by the author.
2 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
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About the author
Steven Berkoff
69 books10 followersSteven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director.Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt. Col Podovsky in Rambo: First Blood Part II, Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop, and Adolf Hitler in epic mini-series War and Remembrance.
His earliest plays are adaptations of works by Franz Kafka: The Metamorphosis (1969); In the Penal Colony (1969); and The Trial (1971); these complex psychological plays are said to be nightmarish and to create a disturbing sense of alienation in their audiences. In the 1970s and 1980s, he wrote a series of verse plays including: East (1975); Greek (1980); Decadence (1981); West (1983); Sink the Belgrano! (1986); Massage (1997); Sturm und Drang; and The Secret Love Life of Ophelia (2001). East, Greek and West were punk-inspired works about working class London youth based on Oedipus and Beowulf respectively.
Berkoff employs a style of heightened physical theatre known as "total theatre". Drama critic Aleks Sierz describes his Berkoff's dramatic style as "in yer face": "the language is usually filthy, characters talk about unmentionable subjects, take their clothes off, have sex, humiliate each another, experience unpleasant emotions, become suddenly violent. At its best, this kind of theatre is so powerful, so visceral, that it forces audiences to react: either they feel like fleeing the building or they are suddenly convinced that it is the best thing they have ever seen, and want all their friends to see it too. It is the kind of theatre that inspires us to use superlatives, whether in praise or condemnation."
According to Annette Pankratz, in her 2005 Modern Drama review of Steven Berkoff and the Theatre of Self-Performance, by Robert Cross, "Steven Berkoff is one of the major minor contemporary dramatists in Britain and – due to his self-fashioning as a bad boy of British theatre and the ensuing attention of the media – a phenomenon in his own right."
"I'm scared of Steven Berkoff" is a line in the lyrics of "I'm Scared" (1992), by Queen's guitarist Brian May, released on his first solo album Back to the Light (1993). Brian May has declared himself as a great admirer of Berkoff.
The Berkoff Performing Arts Centre was named for him at Alton College, in North East Hampshire on 20 June 2008.
His earliest plays are adaptations of works by Franz Kafka: The Metamorphosis (1969); In the Penal Colony (1969); and The Trial (1971); these complex psychological plays are said to be nightmarish and to create a disturbing sense of alienation in their audiences. In the 1970s and 1980s, he wrote a series of verse plays including: East (1975); Greek (1980); Decadence (1981); West (1983); Sink the Belgrano! (1986); Massage (1997); Sturm und Drang; and The Secret Love Life of Ophelia (2001). East, Greek and West were punk-inspired works about working class London youth based on Oedipus and Beowulf respectively.
Berkoff employs a style of heightened physical theatre known as "total theatre". Drama critic Aleks Sierz describes his Berkoff's dramatic style as "in yer face": "the language is usually filthy, characters talk about unmentionable subjects, take their clothes off, have sex, humiliate each another, experience unpleasant emotions, become suddenly violent. At its best, this kind of theatre is so powerful, so visceral, that it forces audiences to react: either they feel like fleeing the building or they are suddenly convinced that it is the best thing they have ever seen, and want all their friends to see it too. It is the kind of theatre that inspires us to use superlatives, whether in praise or condemnation."
According to Annette Pankratz, in her 2005 Modern Drama review of Steven Berkoff and the Theatre of Self-Performance, by Robert Cross, "Steven Berkoff is one of the major minor contemporary dramatists in Britain and – due to his self-fashioning as a bad boy of British theatre and the ensuing attention of the media – a phenomenon in his own right."
"I'm scared of Steven Berkoff" is a line in the lyrics of "I'm Scared" (1992), by Queen's guitarist Brian May, released on his first solo album Back to the Light (1993). Brian May has declared himself as a great admirer of Berkoff.
The Berkoff Performing Arts Centre was named for him at Alton College, in North East Hampshire on 20 June 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 3, 2014
After seeing An Audience with this embittered, arrogant and indignant old man, I've been quite put off by him. He scorned most modern playwrights, claiming that 'theatre is dead' and it needs him to bring it back to life. His total egotism was 'astounding' (a word he used at least fifty times) and completely changed my perception of him. It's all very clear that he's an extremely talented person but the problem is that he knows he is, or thinks he's even better.
Back to these plays though, pugnacious-n-punchy, a laugh hither and thither, but largely rather self-aggrandising, pretentious drivel. Drama school students and teachers alike fall at his feet because they've been told to. Steven Jerkoff, more like. If this is the father of modern theatre, I want a DNA test. I feel such a fool for idolising him. Never meet your heroes, guys. Ever.
Back to these plays though, pugnacious-n-punchy, a laugh hither and thither, but largely rather self-aggrandising, pretentious drivel. Drama school students and teachers alike fall at his feet because they've been told to. Steven Jerkoff, more like. If this is the father of modern theatre, I want a DNA test. I feel such a fool for idolising him. Never meet your heroes, guys. Ever.
June 26, 2018
Prime in-yer-face theatre from a true artist; linguistically exciting, but nevertheless one can't help but get the feeling these plays are best enjoyed on the stage rather than the page.
April 22, 2020
I read Greek for a module at university and was completely surprised with what it entailed.
October 14, 2020
****only read Greek****
April 21, 2021
Read “Greek” super in-ya-face theatre with abuse being a huge central theme.
December 9, 2021
*Only read Greek* found it… interesting to say the least. Was very surprised and won’t be reading again in a hurry…
October 13, 2024
I read this for fun (not study).
Typical Berkoff - Over the top, crystal clear and arrogant. LOVED IT.
Typical Berkoff - Over the top, crystal clear and arrogant. LOVED IT.
February 2, 2008
Berkoff is genius
July 28, 2011
Berkoff is quickly becoming an obsession.
October 7, 2020
Couldn't manage sturm und drang
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews