Berkoff
Berkoff focuses on the physical abilities of the actors in substitution for sets and props, often being called total theatre. He uses Brechtian styles and techniques from Jacques Lecoq.
Some techniques he used were:
- stylised movement, slow motion, robotic, ensemble, choreographed
- exaggeration of facial expressions
- direct asides and tableaux
- minimalistic use of costume and set
- use of mime and masks
Physical Theatre
Berkoff emphasized the importance of the body being used to tell a story. His work relies on exaggerated physicality to show meaning, emotion, and narration. Actors in his productions frequently use their bodies to create settings, objects, or different concepts, minimizing the need for elaborate stage props or scenery.
- Movements were heightened, non-naturalistic, and created an alienated quality
Minimalism
Berkoff's productions are famous for their minimalistic approach to set, costume, and props. This minimalism puts the focus on the actors and their performance, forcing the audience to engage their imagination.
- He often used empty space to emphasise the actors' movements, and physical techniques.
- Symbolism was also used over practicality when props were used in him play, forcing the actors to rely more on portraying their characters in unordinary ways.
Non-naturalism
Berkoff rejected realism and naturalism in favour of a heightened, theatrical style. His work aims to challenge traditional storytelling methods and engage audiences in a more deep and imaginative way.
- Alienation effect- using Brechtian principles, Berkoff usually breaks the fourth wall, with direct address, or either making them aware of the uncomfortable atmosphere created by the actors.
- Chorus- the actors would normally perform as a group, speaking at the same time, same rhythm of movements, or even the same movements.
- Berkoff says naturalism is the death of theatre
Influences towards Berkoff's style
Greek Theatre:
- Berkoff draws heavily on the traditions of Greek theatre, particularly its use of exaggerated language, and chorus work. Greek tragedy's emphasis on collective storytelling, where the chorus is a main role in narrating and commenting on the action, is used in Berkoff's ensemble work. Berkoff's plays often explore typical themes, such as power, corruption, and transformation, and moral dilemmas seen in Greek tragedies.
- Use ensemble to create set, to create walls, beds etc. Using mime and object transformation
Commedia dell'Arte
The Italian tradition of Commedia dell'Arte influenced Berkoff's use of exaggerated physicality, stock characters, and stylized performance. Berkoff's actors use bold, theatrical gestures and physical movements, akin to the masked characters of Commedia dell'Arte. Berkoff's actors use bold, theatrical gestures and physical movements, akin to the masked characters of Commedia dell'Arte.
Expressionism
- Berkoff uses surreal and exaggerated techniques to convey psychological and emotional realities rather than literal truth. The stark, minimalist visual style of Expressionism such as, using light, shadow, and the actor's body to create atmosphere is a dominant theme in Berkoff's plays.
- This creates his grotesque theme, through the audience being uncomfortable due to the exaggeration from the actors.
- There is no question about how the family is feeling, they make it obvious, the characters transform infront of the audience, you see the actor as well as the character
Brecht
Berkoff was influenced by Bertolt Brecht's Epic Theatre, particularly Brecht's focus on engaging the audience intellectually and encouraging critical reflection, sometimes known as theatre for the mind. Like Brecht, Berkoff breaks the audience's focus on the play by breaking the fourth wall, and using direct address. Berkoff's plays often criticise society, mimicking Brecht's use of theatre as a medium for showing power dynamics and social injustices.
Vocal techniques
- Heightened text delivery; over-articulated, rhythmic, often making sounds, consonants are punched and vowels are elongated
Context of Metamorphosis
- Kafka's Original Work- The original novella, written by Franz Kafka in 1912-13 and published in 1915, explores themes of alienation, the absurdity of modern life, and the breakdown of the individual wihtin societal pressures. Metamorphosis reflects his personal sense of isolation; due to his Jewish identity, the play also explores existential anxiety, and critique of the bureaucratic, capitalist society of the early 20th century.
- 1960s and 1970s British Theatre- Berkoff's adaptation emerged during a period of experimentation in British theatre. Within this era, theatre saw a shift towards more physical, and stylised theatre practices. Directors and playwrights like Peter Brook and companies like the Royal Court Theatre embraced new forms of expression that pushed the boundaries of traditional realism. Berkoff's use of physical theatre, mime, and absurdism reflects this broader trend towards innovation in the arts.
- Absurdism and Existentialism- Metamorphosis reflects the existential and absurdist influences of the time of the industrial revolution. The play shares themes with writers like Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco, who also explored the absurdity of human existence, alienation, and the struggle for meaning in a world that seems indifferent or even hostile. The 1960s and 1970s were also a period when existentialist philosophy, particularly the works of Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, gained popularity, and Metamorphosis fits within this tradition by questioning the meaning of life and the human condition, being a very popular theme at the time.
- Dehumanisation in Modern Society- Metamorphosis criticises the dehumanising effects of modern life, especially in terms of work, family expectations, and social isolation. Gregor's transformation into an insect can be seen as a metaphor for the way individuals feel reduced to mere cogs in the machine of society, alienated from their true selves. This was a common critique in post-war literature and theatre of the time, reflecting widespread anxiety about the loss of individual identity in the face of technological advancement and societal conformity to socialist institutions.
Context on playwright
Berkoff trained as an actor at the Webber Douglas Academy in London and studied movement at the Ecole Internationale de Theatre de Jaques Lecoq in Paris. These two disciplines are key to his creative work. He worked as a mime and physical theatre practitioner at Webber Douglas and first experimented with The Trial using an ensemble of students.
Steven Berkoff was born in Stepney, London in 1937, and is still an energised actor, playwright and director. His real name is Leslie Steven Berks, although his Jewish Russian family name was Berkowitz. His grandparents left Russia for England in the 1890s, due to early Jewish discrimination, within an early movement of Jewish emigration to seek safety.
- Marxist and anti-establishment stance- Berkoff's work, particularly from the 1960s to the 1980s, was deeply influenced by Marxist ideas, reflecting a critique of class structures, capitalism, and authority through the “owners vs workers” structure. His productions highlighted the alienation and dehumanization of the working class by oppressive, faceless bureaucracy.
- Disillusionment with the Left: By the 2000s, Berkoff expressed disillusionment with the Labour Party, citing fed-up feelings with "all the lies" and declaring an end to his long-term support for them, even expressing an interest in the conservative party.
Berkoff was born just before World War II, so he grew up within conflict, having to evacuate from London as a baby and returning at 10 years old. Berkoff described his relationship with his father as very strained and "cold". Following the war, his father suffered from a gambling addiction, leading to financial hardship, with the family living in a single rented room. At 15 he was sent to a detention centre for stealing a bike.
- Father (Alfred): A tailor and chronic gambler who Berkoff called a "strange beast". Their relationship was severely strained; Berkoff felt neglected and noted that his father had "little time for his young son"
- Mother (Pauline): Berkoff credits his mother with his cultural education, as she took him to libraries and variety theatre acts. He viewed her as the family's protector.
Growing up in the East End, life revolved around "boys' clubs" and local hangouts, influencing his use of an ensemble chorus. This chorus often physically becomes the scenery or expresses the internal mood that lead characters cannot say, centralising emotion through stylisation.
Berkoff viewed mainstream British theatre as an "unimaginative, ugly greyness". He countered this with "Total Theatre"—a high-energy, hallucinogenic style using mime, exaggerated physicality, and non-naturalistic movement to "sicken" and engage the audience, with his grotesque atmosphere and themes.
The Strained Father Figure: Berkoff explicitly cited his strained relationship with his own "unloving" and "absent" father as a primary prompt for adapting the play. He saw parallels between his father (a tailor/gambler) and Gregor's harsh father, Mr. Samsa. He also saw himself within Gregor with his isolation for being Jewish, as Gregor is also a Jewish man.