ground. His sense of theatre is carried everywhere, grimacing and flourishing his way through life not wholly unlike Signor Titorelli, the Italian artist-figure he played in The Trial. That performance was itself literally incredible. Not since Olivier has anybody stamped their personality so effectively on the British stage. It’s no coincidence that Olivier is a hero to him, but whereas Hollywood anglophilia was instrumental in constructing the Olivier Myth, Berkoff has no such help. In retrospect, his achievement has been an extraordinary one, operating virtually alone throughout the last twenty years as an enthralling and demonic presence shuttling between the National, the West End and the London fringe, his comprehensive mastery of the art of theatre has earned many enemies, and regular critical disfavour. ‘I don’t give a damn what anybody thinks of me. If they are not paying my wages, I couldn’t care less. What the audience think is different — for that I care very much. When they march in their thousands to see a play of mine, that gives me an intense satisfaction. What critics think is of no relevance, because they can think only in the gridlock of their own imaginations. They are conditioned by the existing state of our culture. It is a necrophiliac one.’
Kvetch (Fringe) Assembly Rooms (Venue 3) 220 4349, 26—31 Aug, 11.30am, 7.50 (5).
ldon’t am a damn what anybody thlnks at me. "they are not paying my wages, I couldn’t care less.
GLABROUS DEIPNOSOPI—IIST
(Glab- russ Dipe-nosso-fist)
A Glabrous Deipnosophist might be said (though not without some difficulty) to be the very definition of someone who appreciates Bunnahabhain (Bu-na-ha-venn). For how many smooth, skilful dinner conversationalists would not relish this distinguished 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky? How appropriate too, given that its own smooth qualities are renowned far beyond the' Isle of Islay, where it is distilled to this day. And as for provoking good conversation itself, even those not given to cacoethes loquendi
find it only too easy to wax lyrical about £1
its subtle flavour at some length. Which '12
is exactly what we like to hear.
flunmhabhazm
UNSPEAKABLY GOOD MALT
The List 23 - 29 August 199115