Theatre
talk
Veteran theatrical maverick Steven Berkoff talks to Steve Cramer about the theatre, its prejudices and his working class roots
teven Berkoff's position in the British
theatre is a bit like that of the mysterious
nail that seems to belong nowhere after you‘ve constructed your lkea bookshelf. On the face of it. he simply doesn‘t belong. but somehow things don‘t work without him.
His relentless desire to kick against the pricks is undiminished. He turns 71 this year. and even his harshest detractors could not fault the energy with which he sets about his work.
The centre of endless controversies. from his successful libel action against the columnist Julie Burchill for attacking his physical appearance. to his spat with Equity for alleged strikebreaking on commercial voiceovers. Berkoff has never been far from the limelight. His film career has involved a succession of English villains in action films. from Beverly Hills Cup to James Bond and Rambo pictures. But his first passion is the theatre. which he has never abandoned.
This year. Berkoff brings his production of Budd Schulberg’s ()n The Waterfront to the Fringe. His explanation of how he came to this theatre version contains a characteristic ‘one in the eye’ for the [English National Theatre. ‘Wztmf/i'onr fortunately came up at the National — it was sat on a desk and nobody wanted to do it. I thought. well good for them. I'll do it. and
Joan Rivers The funnywoman and enemy of Loose Women stars in her
Karen Dunbar
The Chewing the Fat star
they've missed the opportunity. They couldn’t think of a way to do it. so they did other things that were less challenging. I loved the challenge.’
But given the popularity of Elia Kazan‘s film.
considered by many critics to be among the best
movies ever made. will audiences bring too much expectation to this production? ‘Well. it‘s a homage in a way.‘ Berkoff comments. ‘But it‘s
the theatre version. so this means that there are
some things about the production which we don't do in exactly the same way as the film. The famous speech. “I could have been a contender . . is delivered. not in a taxi. but in an alleyway. as that's the way it works on stage.‘
What we can certainly expect. beyond this. is Berkoff's trademark anti—naturalism. which will no doubt cause some reassessment of a naturalistic text. Berkoff. though. is. as ever. unapologetic about his style. ‘My desire is to innovate. be radical. to try to move. astonish and
excite the audience.‘ he says. He speaks of
standard repertory stock. of the safe bets put on
‘MY DE ASTONI THE A
Clive James King of anecdotes. the
Britt Ekland Britt On Britt reveals all about her life as a Swedish sex
www.list.co.uk/theatre
by many British theatres dismissively. ‘You have
to make the audience wake up — they don‘t necessarily want to see their 100th version of The (‘lzerij’ ()rchurd.‘
He reflects upon his career as one that owes much to his training as a physical theatre practitioner. but perhaps equally. to his working class origins. which. he maintains, give him a different perspective to those around him in a predominantly middle class profession. ‘Coming from a working class background helped me to define things as coming in groups. There were things like the boys‘ club. the local pool. the park where all the guys used to hang out with the girls — it‘s an ensemble. As you go up the classes you lose that community mentality. people live in semi-detached houses with just a few friends. I've never lost the sense of the group being important; that’s always been part of the work I do. the ensemble. interacting. creating together.’
He continues: ‘What you see in middle class productions is the typical leading actor at the centre of the stage. and the other actors hovering along the edges like black slaves in servitude. occasionally doing some perfunctory movement. For me all the actors must be part of it.’
A working class boy. then. tells a working class story.
On the Waterfront, Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, 2-24 Aug (not 5, 12, 19), 2pm, 210-9215. Previews 31 Jul 8: 1 Aug, £7.
RE IS TO MOVE, AND EXCITE IENCE'
David Laing presents his pick of the celebs
Simon Callow In A Festival Dickens. the
play on the ups and downs of ageing, Work in Progress by a Life in Progress. UdderbeI/y's Pasture, 0844 545 8252, 7—25 Aug, 3.45pm, £18—£25 (£15).
gets serious in Denise Mina's A Drunk Woman Looks at the Thistle. Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, 2—25 Aug (not 12, 19), 10.10pm, £11—£12 (£10—£1 1). Previews 31 Jul 8 1 Aug, £5.
64 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 31 Jul—7 Aug 2008
mellifluous Clive James. talks through his encounters with the rich and famous in /n Conversation. Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, 19-24 Aug, 4.30pm, £13—£ 15 (£12474).
kitten, whether we want her to or not. Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, 3—25 Aug (not 20). 6.30pm, £10.50—£1 1.50
(£9. 50—£ 1 0. 50). Previews 37 Jul—2 Aug, £5.
venerable Callow presents two of the novelist's monodramas. Assembly Rooms, 623 3030, 8—25 Aug (not 11, 18), 2pm, £17.50—£20 (£15—£18). Preview 7 Aug, £10.