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The theory of Total Theatre is key to Berkoff and stemmed from Artaud’s theatre style. Total Theatre maintains that every aspect of theatre must have purpose: every movement, that is choreographed; to each line, that is learned perfectly; to each lighting effect, that is used to convey a mood or message; to each sound effect, that enhances the audience’s experience; to each prop that has a use. The aim of Total Theatre is to create extreme moods to give the audience an overwhelming experience and to shock, amuse, scare, or amaze them. Berkoff particularly embraced this in his Kafka adaptations such as Metamorphosis, The Trial and In the Penal Colony. 

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The theory of Total Theatre is key to Berkoff and stemmed from Artaud’s theatre style. Total Theatre maintains that every aspect of theatre must have purpose: every movement, that is choreographed; to each line, that is learned perfectly; to each lighting effect, that is used to convey a mood or message; to each sound effect, that enhances the audience’s experience; to each prop that has a use. The aim of Total Theatre is to create extreme moods to give the audience an overwhelming experience and to shock, amuse, scare, or amaze them. Berkoff particularly embraced this in his Kafka adaptations such as Metamorphosis, The Trial and In the Penal Colony. 

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In his productions East and West, Berkoff used the Shakespearean style of language to create an complexity but pairing it with “low” cockney slang and swearing. Complex language that an audience has to focus means they rely on actions to understand the plot. This enhances Berkoff’s physical style.

Shakespearean language benefits physical movement as it provides images to work from. In his adaptation of Coriolanus, Berkoff uses mime to show the attack on the gates of Rome that is referred to in the script but not the play. Language does not have to be included in the performance to be shown. Berkoff said of Shakespeare that he wanted to “evoke and resignify” the language of Shakespeare through movement and modern slang.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6DUpCfICyM

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He also formed the Handspring Puppet Company in 1991. Handspring are a theatre company based in Cape Town, South Africa. They are best known for their work with the National Theatre’s War Horse, constructing full-scale horse puppets built of steel, leather and aircraft cables. The majority of their work has been aimed at an older audience, rather than children, and influenced initially by West African puppetry traditions. They use large puppets which are usually life sised.

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Berkoff formed the Graeae Theatre Company in 1980.  It is a theatre company for deaf and disabled actors. Based in London,  they aim to challenge preconceptions about disability. They adapt classic plays and champion new writing by disabled playwrights. These include Under One, Oliver Twist, House of Bernada Alba etc.

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In Metamorphosis he used ritualistic miming in the scene with the eating family, which was mirrored in the ritualistic beetle/boy character. As an insect, he moved with sharp motions, staying completely still save for the short and snappy movements. 

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In Metamorphosis he used ritualistic miming in the scene with the eating family, which was mirrored in the ritualistic beetle/boy character. As an insect, he moved with sharp motions, staying completely still save for the short and snappy movements. 

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In film, Berkoff has played villains such as Soviet General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, the corrupt art dealer Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop , the Soviet officer Colonel Podovsky in Rambo: First Blood Part II, and gangster George Cornell in The Krays . 

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In film, Berkoff has played villains such as Soviet General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, the corrupt art dealer Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop , the Soviet officer Colonel Podovsky in Rambo: First Blood Part II, and gangster George Cornell in The Krays . 

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Berkoff was a marxist (social, political, and economic philosophy  which examines the effect of capitalism on labor, productivity, and economic development and argues for a worker revolution to overturn capitalism in favor of communism) so often his politics would be mirrored in his productions. All parts of a play were created like a ballet, a Greek chorus as the actors became the style of the play. 

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Berkoff was a marxist (social, political, and economic philosophy  which examines the effect of capitalism on labor, productivity, and economic development and argues for a worker revolution to overturn capitalism in favor of communism) so often his politics would be mirrored in his productions. All parts of a play were created like a ballet, a Greek chorus as the actors became the style of the play. 

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Berkoff is a heightened, expressionistic, ever-able thespian who is able to immerse an audience into his world with nothing more than his own body and voice. This is total theatre: the stage is bare, Berkoff is everything.

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Example techniques:

stylised movement , including slow motion and robotic, from an ensemble of performers.

exaggerated facial expressions and vocal work.

often includes direct asides and tableaux.

minimalistic use of costume and set.

exaggerated and stylised mime , sometimes using masks.

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Steven Berkoff was directly inspired by a number of writers- their works of fiction he aspired to bring to the theatrical scene in an original way. These include: Franz Kafka, Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare and Sophocles. His own work, alongside his adaptations, feature elements of other authors styles.

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What sets Berkoff apart from theatre is his focus on non-naturalism, his attention on movement rather than voice. As an actor, director and playwright and general non-conformist, Berkoff wanted to shake naturalistic theatre and encourage experiment using the idea of Total Theatre

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Berkoff is a British practitioner whose career has spanned from 1965 to today. His physical, exaggerated style of theatre is both popular and controversial, defying the norms of naturalistic theatre.  Berkoff used the Shakespearean style of language to create an complexity but pairing it with “low” cockney slang and swearing. Complex language that an audience has to focus means they rely on actions to understand the plot. This enhances Berkoff’s physical style. Shakespearean language benefits physical movement as it provides images to work from. Berkoff often left rejected ensemble acting in favour of one or two-man shows. Berkoff’s techniques included mime; exaggerated movement, facial expressions and accents.

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Berkoff is a British practitioner whose career has spanned from 1965 to today. His physical, exaggerated style of theatre is both popular and controversial, defying the norms of naturalistic theatre.  Berkoff used the Shakespearean style of language to create an complexity but pairing it with “low” cockney slang and swearing. Complex language that an audience has to focus means they rely on actions to understand the plot. This enhances Berkoff’s physical style. Shakespearean language benefits physical movement as it provides images to work from. Berkoff often left rejected ensemble acting in favour of one or two-man shows. Berkoff’s techniques included mime; exaggerated movement, facial expressions and accents.

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Berkoff focuses on the physical abilities of the performers as a substitute for sets and props, often known as total theatre.

He is an English actor and practitioner