Steven Berkoff has been variously described as controversial, thrilling, electri
c and dynamic. A Renaissance man of the theatre, he is known equally for his wri
ting, directing and acting. Collecting together nineteen one-act plays, this vol
ume presents never-before-published material. Abusive, shocking and endlessly su
rprising, these sharply written pieces showcase Berkoff's trademark controversy,
black humour and dramatic dialectics. Themes that haunt much of his work are pr
esent: his luxurious verbosity; his counterpoint of crude street-patter and eleg
iac proclamation; sex wars; class wars; dislocation and abandonment of love in a
thankless and unyielding world. The selection of plays allows the performer and
reader to experience Berkoff's fluid anarchic poetry at its most profane within
the complete and pithy structure of the one-act play. Established plays such as
The Biblical Tales (which enjoyed success in their 2010 run at the New End Thea
tre, Hampstead) stand alongside previously unpublished material, giving the rang
e of Berkoff's work full expression, from his established thematic concerns to h
is new and unseen work.Perfect for student and amateur performances, this volume
contains a full introduction by Geoffrey Colman, Head of Acting at the Central
School of Speech and Drama.
