‘If I have a trademark style, I suppose it’s about physicality, a simplicity of communication both orally and physically. That’s very important’ – Steven Berkoff.

“Mime isn’t the substitution of words, but the essential body language of theatre” A Lecoq school teacher – taken from film clip #1

Training: As many of your have already discovered, Berkoff trained as an actor at the Webber Douglas Academy in London and then studied movement at the Ecole Internationale de Theatre de Jacques Lecoq [Lecoq International School] in Paris. These two areas (the British drama school – focus on spoken word) and the Continental school – focus on physical) are key to his creative work.
He then worked as a mime and physical theatre practitioner at the Webber Douglas Academy in London and experimented with an ensemble of students on an adaptation of Franz Kafka’s book ‘The Trial’ (which became one of his landmark productions showcasing his interest in movement and voice combined (Total Theatre).
In 1968, Berkoff formed the London Theatre Group and proceeded to write, direct and perform with his own company.

Task #1
Watch the film below on the work done at the Lecoq International School.

Find out briefly who Jacques Lecoq was.

Remember that in the 1960s in the UK this kind of training was unheard of – that’s why for decades, actors in search of a comprehensive physical training went to Paris to study. (Since then, most UK Drama Schools have incorporated elements of the Lecoq curriculum into their own courses). Ex-students have also spread the ideas/methods/style. Not just Berkoff but companies like Complicite, Trestle Theatre & DV8 all credit some of their style to Lecoq’s training.

Extension: Find out a little about these companies)

• look for their work in the Internet)
• Look at the other clips on You Tube about the Lecoq School
  
  

Review the film:

• What kind of theatre school is it? – What’s its FOCUS.
• What do you think Berkoff took away from such training?
• How does it show in his works/performances.

Task #2

Watch the short compilation video below: (It shows work at the school focused on the idea of the CHORUS)

You should:

1 sentence to define what chorus work is (briefly where it originated from – there’s lots of cross-over with your Greek Theatre studies.)

Make 1-3 sentences of notes/observations using the following headings. Use the clip (with time code of mins/secs 0:00) to identify an EXAMPLE for EACH heading.

EXAMPLE: (0.25) The Chorus freezes behind the central character and strike poses all focused towards the woman in the white dress. They draw the audiences eye to the woman. There is contrast too. They are still, silent and exaggerated whilst the woman is moving, talking and more natural.

1. Body as Prop
2. Working in Unison
3. Slow motion
4. Use of soundscapes (where the actors provide their own sound effects
5. Use of focus (where and how do you the audience FOCUS on one character over the rest of the actors on the stage?) – Think of Movement, Costume and style of acting as a way that makes one actor the focus.

It should be recorded in your Journal (Handwritten)

Please have these notes available for next week’s lessons