Peter Brook Practitioner Pack

Peter
Brook.
1925-2022
Practitioner Guide | SubjectResources.com
Guide Contents.
The Empty Space
Deadly Theatre
Holy Theatre
Rough Theatre
Immediate Theatre
Human Connection
Honesty
Naturalism
Shakespeare
Improvisation
Given Circumstances
Television
The Tightrope
Brechtian Influence
Theatre of Cruelty
Key Quotes
Created by SubjectResources.com 1
Peter Brook was an English producer-director
of Shakespeare’s plays whose daring
productions of other dramatists’ works
contributed significantly to developing the
20th century’s avant-garde stage.
Brook also frequently examined the theatre of

provocation and was influenced by Antonin
Artaud’s tenets of the Theatre of Cruelty.
Brook produced Jean Genet’s Le Balcon
(produced 1960, in Paris; The Balcony) and
Biography.
The Screens (1964), as well as Peter Weiss’s
sensational play Marat/Sade (1964), as it is
commonly called the unconventional style
and staging of which shocked the theatre
world and won Brook international fame.
In search of freedom to pursue less

commercial aspects of theatre, he moved in
1970 to Paris, where he established the
International Centre of Theatre Research.
There he worked with associates at the
Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord to answer some
essential questions about the nature of
theatre and to attempt to determine an
interdisciplinary, “intercultural” language of
Created by SubjectResources.com theatre.
2
The Empty Space
Adapted from a series of four lectures, originally delivered as the
first of the Granada Northern Lectures, Peter Brook's The Empty
Space explores four aspects of theatre, 'Deadly, Holy, Rough and
Immediate'.
Let's take a closer look at each aspect.
Deadly Theatre.
Deadly Theatre is the theatre of commerce set up to
make money for its producers. It's the theatre of
imitation, trying to mimic the box office successes of
the past. This affects all aspects and permeates
every level. The Directors rely on the old clichés and
gimmicks of the past without exploring the texts for
their deeper meanings. The Actors do not move past
the emotional facades of the roles, playing the
surface knee-jerk reactions they get from text,
resulting in stereotypical portrayals. The Audience
accepts this Deadly Theatre because they have
sought an honest experience, and rather than take
the disappointment of the less-than-authentic
encounter, they feign excitement and appreciation.
Brooks posits that the Audience would rather
acquiesce here to avoid feeling left out of a cultural
loop designed by an elite who have embraced
Deadly Theatre. The Critics play the society column
game of declaring the big-budget shows as
overwhelming hits without any accurate, critical
analysis. Deadly Theatre is the theatre of repetition.
“Theatres, actors, critics and public are
interlocked in a machine that creaks but
never stops. There is always a new season in
hand and we are too busy to ask the only
vital question which measures the whole
structure. Why theatre at all? What for? Why
do we applaud, and what? Has the stage a
real place in our lives? What function can it
have? What could it serve? What could it
explore? What are its special qualities?”
What do you think about this quote from Brook?
Created by SubjectResources.com
Holy Theatre.
This is what theatre and all artmaking should be addressing-
bringing to light the dark recesses of the human experience,
performing rituals that ask the questions about why we are
the way we are, how we can change or accept the less
damaged aspects of human nature; what does being in
community with others mean.
Religious teaching - including Zen - asserts that this

invisible-visible cannot be seen automatically - it can only
be seen given certain conditions. Holy art is an aid to this,
and so we arrive at a definition of Holy Theatre. According to
Brook, a Holy Theatre presents the invisible and offers
conditions that make its perceptions possible.
The strengths of a Holy Theatre are also what limits its

appeal - the desire to answer the genuinely personal needs
of those who are in the process of creating it. This is not the
theatre of mass appeal. Brook explains the processes of
three artists engaged in creating holy theatre - Merce
Cunningham, Jerzy Grotowski and Samuel Beckett. All three
are well-known in their respective disciplines but have
limited visibility in popular culture.
Rough Theatre.
Rough Theatre could be seen as the antithesis of
Holy Theatre by misinterpreting it as anti-
intellectual. It is cruder, more popular and doesn’t
require any "great study."
Ultimately, Rough Theater is intelligent in its grasp of

social interaction and the community at large,
unerring in its ability to lay bare social issues. I
would say "Real" is the key word here, rather than
"Rough."
Brook discusses his personal experiences in creating

theatre. He describes this as Immediate Theatre
because theatrical "common reality" exists only in
the moment of performance and is lost once the
lights go out. It then becomes something different in
the minds of each who experienced it. This
immediacy draws people to the theatre, the
liveness, and the closeness to reality. Immediacy is
the quality that makes theatre unique.
Immediate Theatre.
The last type of theatre Brook mentions is the
immediate theatre, the theatre that “asserts
itself in the present”. Immediate theatre
occurs when the audience reacts to the
happenings on the stage. These reactions are
different every time because the audience
members are different, and it is hard to
predict their feelings, understanding and
behaviour. In the immediate theatre, the
viewer should take to indulge in the present
and allow for that transition between what is
happening on stage and what is happening
in their hearts at that precise moment.
Brook believes that the essence of theatrical

thinking is that a proper designer will think of
his designs as being all the time in motion, in
action, and in relation to what the actor
brings to a scene as it unfolds.
“I can take any empty space
and call it a bare stage. A man
walks across this empty space
whilst someone else is watching
him, and this is all that is
needed for an act of theatre to
be engaged.”
Human Connection.
Brook believed that when the audience can
sympathise with the actor's emotions, they have
succeeded. The actor fails when the audience sits
bored, listening to an emotionless recital of words.
Suppose the actor is not 100% committed to the role

and has not invested emotional depth and belief in
the character. In that case, they will not connect with
their role, causing them not to connect with the scene
partners, the play and the audience. In The Devils, the
audience has to be on Grandier’s side, and they must
emotionally invest in him/ sympathise with him for
the play to work. George, who plays Grandier, has the
most challenging job of investing everything he has
into the role so that the end is as hard-hitting as
intended, and the audience feels helpless and grief at
the fact that innocence has been murdered. If the
actor is acting the part, the audience will see them as
precisely that and detach from the play and their
character, ultimately failing their duty as an actor.
Honesty.
Brook believed in the intrinsic honesty of the
theatrical event. “Be aware of what you are
experiencing.” He pointed out that every body
part should be as expressive as the face. “If the
body isn’t alive, the soles of the feet forget.” This
kind of hyperalertness is more than a performing
trick; it is, for Brook, essential to all great acting.
Imagination is fueled by authenticity.
This is why Brook, in the 1950s, championed less-

is-more stagecraft from the start. The British
newspaper The Guardian once wrote of him: “It is
only a slight exaggeration to say that before
Peter Brook came along ..., a Shakespeare play in
the British theatre meant men in tights
declaiming under a proscenium arch amid
naturalistic stage sets.” As Brook says in the film,
“there is no need for sets if the truth is there.”
Naturalism.
The naturalistic approach can be used in the
scenes vocally and atmospherically, although
physically, we are going for more of an
exaggerated look. The naturalistic nature of
the conversations and how they are had
create a human connection and can become
relatable to the audience in this way. The
element of naturalism also keeps the play
from being too over the top and allows us to
tell the story in a clear way that is understood
by the audience.
What he is describing is non-directional

directing. For the actor to authentically feel
what his character is intended to feel, he must
explore those emotions alone, without the
director telling him what they are, for example,
"how do you think your character is feeling?”
“If you just let a play speak, it
may not make a sound. If what
you want is for the play to be
heard, then you must conjure its
sounds from it.”
Shakespeare.
Brook's approach to Shakespeare is to try and shed the
weight of cultural expectation: a danger he feels can
lead to dreariness. Shakespeare is a more punchy and
pithy text for the student. He is keen to strip the plays
of historical baggage and avoid the actors imposing
personal experiences on their roles as they develop in
the rehearsal room.
Brook suggests this exercise as a way of reinventing

text, releasing the word from tired actions. Any piece of
text can be selected for experimentation.
The actor should stand and perform the selected

text.
The actor should then repeat the text whilst
performing an unrelated mimed activity, for
instance, juggling.
The actor should be joined by a second actor who
should interact with the first, improvising a ‘free
invention’ activity while the speech is repeated.
Brook is particularly keen on tennis or squash as
mimed activities.
Improvisation.
Improvising is an excellent way to generate new
content and explore ideas when devising drama.
The beauty of improvisation is that because it's
unplanned, you never know where the scene
might take you or what the other actors you work
with might say. This level of freedom aids Brook
and the cast in making imaginative decisions
within the rehearsal room.
In addition, improvising is also an excellent way

of sharpening acting skills. Being completely in
the moment and open to what is happening
improves listening and responding onstage,
builds rapport, sharpens the wits and improves
confidence as a performer.
Brook wanted to inspire Non-verbal

communication within the ensemble and
discipline the actor's minds to develop their
interpretations.
“We are aware that the
conductor is not really making
the music, it is making him. If he
is relaxed, open and attuned,
then the invisible will take
possession of him; through him,
it will reach us.”
Given Circumstances.
The given circumstances are the information
about the character you start with and the
play as a whole.
Actors need to understand all of the factual

information provided by the playwright. For
example, how old is the character? What is
their situation in the play and their relation to
the other characters? Are there any notes
provided about the play and its characters?
Such notes and stage directions may not tell

you everything you need to build a character,
but they are the starting point from which you
will work to examine the other questions. For
Brook, the rehearsal process starts with the
exploration of these questions. To build the life
of the character beyond the given
circumstances.
Television.
Acting is acting - no matter the format. At its core,
the principle and technique are the same. All acting
has to come from a place of truth and involves
‘living truthfully under imaginary circumstances’
and constructing and shaping a story. Stage acting
has added techniques needed, such as telling that
story in real-time to a present audience, sometimes
across a distance. The stage actor takes the
heaviest responsibility for shaping the story. They
are alone on stage without a director or editor and Up next...
are responsible for building the arc, flow, and pacing

in real-time. PeterBrook's
The Empty
Brook was fascinated by all art forms and what Space
could be learned, adapted or explored in the
theatre. In television and movies, Brook explained
that ultimately so long as the picture is moving,
there is always a point of interest for the spectator.
In the theatre, we must also ensure that there is
always something going on, some form of business
on stage which keeps our attention and gives the
play some momentum.
The Tightrope.
This exploration involves imagining that there
is a tightrope spanning one end of the room
to the other. The objective is for each actor to
take turns traversing the space.
Using this image of a tightrope, we

understand that an apparent demand has
been established, something in the
imagination has to be true and real, and it
has to take you from points A to B in a way
that is always alive and interesting.
In many ways, this exercise is quite the

metaphor for Brook's outlook on theatre. The
action, although simple, must be compelling,
truthful and rich in storytelling. A good actor
will traverse the space with some flair and
intrigue us; a great actor will make us feel the
thrill of the journey.
“No one seriously concerned with the
theatre can by-pass Brecht. Brecht is
the key figure of our time, and all
theatre work today at some point
starts with his statements and
achievement”
Brechtian Influence.
In The Empty Space, Brook observes that
'alienation is above all an appeal to the
spectator to work for themself, and to
become, as a result, more and more
responsible'. Brook was less inclined to believe
that it is possible to change things merely by
pointing things out to people. Brook's solution
to the problem of the spectator's terrible
desire for blindness was to confront
spectators with their self-censorship actively.
This was achieved by presenting as drama What would
both the political situation in question and, as
an equally important aspect of the you do?
performance, the audience struggles to avoid
facing the truth. Brook's socially conscious
drama, like Brecht's, works through the
juxtaposition of incompatibilities.
Theatre of Cruelty.
First conceptualized by Antonin Artaud, While Brook did use the techniques
the Theatre of Cruelty sought to “abolish that Artaud put forth in writing, he
the separation between the audience's was not as spiritual as the
space and the performance space”. Frenchman. Artaud believed that his
Through a series of violent lighting, cruel theatre could be a guide to
staging and acting, the Theatre of Cruelty enlightenment; it was an instrument
would astound the audience–shock for society's spiritual awakening.
them– into a state that transcended just Brook's belief was more
entertainment. It would place them into a straightforward: his "goal was to
new consciousness, hopefully leaving reinvigorate the theatre through a
them with some revelation. In this form, theatrical vocabulary not tied to
the word “cruelty” did not necessarily language". Rhetoric would no longer
mean violence or torture or some other serve as the primary device for
aspect that is often associated with it; to communication. Brook used all
Artaud, the word “cruelty” was used as a aspects of theatre to stage this:
“cosmic rigour or implacable necessity lighting, set, props, costumes, and
imposing itself on the bodies of the most importantly, action. All
actors”. Peter Brook put into action the presented the audience with a
ideas of Artaud. natural, raw, and emotional
experience.
“Drama is exposure; it is
confrontation and it leads to
analysis, construction,
recognition and eventually to an
awakening of understanding”
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Practitioner
Resource Packs.
Konstantin
Stanislavski.
1863-1938
Practitioner Guide
LE Tempo Rhythm.
P
Stanislavski believed tempo-rhythm was vital to
executing physical actions concretely and
truthfully. His research on tempo-rhythm must
M
have begun from his frustration with opera
singers, ‘why is it that opera singers have not
grasped this simple truth? Most of them sing in
one rhythm, in a certain tempo, walk in another,
move their arms in a third and live their emotions
A
in a fourth. Can harmony, without which there is
no music and which has a fundamental need for
order, be created out of this disparity?’
S
As early as 1918, Stanislavski understood the
importance of physically and emotionally giving
richness to a character by understanding and
creating tempo-rhythm. He likened the tempo
rhythms of action to those of music. Just as music
has various movements like legato, staccato,
andante or allegro in a continuous line, so should
stage action and speech. This would make the
action organic and help stir the actor’s emotions.
15
LE
Method of Physical
P
Actions.
When objectives are strung together in a
logical and coherent form, a through-line of
M
action can be mapped out for the character.
This is important to create a sense of the
whole. Stanislavski developed the concept of
the Super Objective.
A
The Super Objective could then be looked at as
the ‘spine’ with the objectives as ‘vertebrae.’ For
example, the Super Objective of one character
could be to win back the other character's love.
S
To achieve this, the first character would have
successive unit objectives such as tease her,
please her, excite her, provoke her, and placate
her.
These objectives, when strung together,

revealed the Super Objective, the logical,
coherent through-line of action. Stanislavski
called this the ‘final goal of every performance’.
6
Full Pack Contains.
The First Acquaintance Magic If
Three Core Elements Active Analysis
Given Circumstances Relaxation
Actioning Imagination
Subtext Endowment
Tempo Rhythm The Fourth Wall
Circles of Attention
Units & Objectives Influences
Method of Physical Key Quotes
Actions The Moscow Art Theatre
Emotion Memory The American Tour
Circles of Attention The Method (overview)
Before-time Principle Terms Glossary.
Public Solitude
Bertolt
Brecht.
1898 – 1956
Practitioner Guide
LE Placards.
P
A placard is a sign or an additional piece of written
information presented onstage. Using placards
STILL might be as simple as holding up a card or banner.
M
Multimedia or a PowerPoint slideshow can also be
STARVING! used for this effect. The musical Miss Saigon, for
example, used a slideshow to demonstrate the loss
of lives in the Vietnam War, which was highly
A
effective. What’s important is that the information
doesn’t just comment upon the action but deepens
our understanding of it.
S
For example, a married couple are arguing, and the
wife is distraught. If the actress held up a placard
saying ‘I’m miserable' that wouldn’t tell us anything
about the character we didn’t already know.
However, if her placard said ‘I’m having an affair' or
‘I’ve never loved him’ the audience would be forced
to consider other aspects of their relationship and
to think about deeper reasons behind her tears.
5
LE The Silent Scream.
P
At the end of the third scene in Brecht's Mother
Courage, the soldiers carry Schweizerka's body
onstage. They suspect that he is the son of Mother
Courage and want her to identify the body. According
to Brecht's text, when her son's body is laid before her,
M
Mother Courage shakes her head twice, indicating
that she doesn't recognise him. The soldiers then
carry the body away to bury him in a common grave.
When Helene Weigel, the greatest performer of
A
female Brechtian characters, played this scene, she
turned her head the other way and stretched her
mouth wide open. A harsh and terrifying,
indescribable sound issued from her mouth. But, in
S
fact, there was no sound. Nothing. It was the sound of
absolute silence. A silence which screamed and
screamed throughout the theatre, making the
audience think that they heard the scream.
This iconic theatrical moment is a fantastic example

of gestus. The silent scream not only exposed the
pain the mother felt, but it also served as a political
comment about the tragedies of war.
11
LE
P
“In the dark times will there
also be singing?”
M
“Yes, there will also be
A
singing. About the dark
times.”
S
What do you think about this quote from Brecht?
Full Pack Contains.
Spass
Alienation Set, Costume & Props
Gestus Split Role
Haltung Not, But.
Stage Directions Multi-rolling
Lehrstücke Lighting
Placards Caspar Neher
Inductive Rehearsal
Narration Expressionism
Direct Address Biography
Montage Buchner
Music Marxism
The Silent Scream The Everyman
Steven
Berkoff.
1937
Practitioner Guide
LE
P
Burdens.
The exploration of societal pressure on
M
the character. Visualise how these
burdens physically affect the body and
are carried around with the character.
A
We all have our own burdens, and so
does your character. Really think about
what weighs them down and then apply
this to their physicality.
S
Combine this exercise with 'levels of
exaggeration' and explore the impact
this has on the characterisation overall.
LE
Berkovian productions often use a minimalist
P
set, non-naturalistic design elements and
place the skills and imagination of the actor
at the forefront of the performance. His
characters often speak using poetic
language, sometimes Shakespearean, often
visceral, guttural/muscular in presentation.
M
As a playwright and director, Berkoff often
explores themes and ideas that consider
isolation, alienation, loneliness, fear,
corruption of the upper classes, greed,
Minimalism. dysfunctional families, poverty, the struggle of
A
the working class, racism, social inequality,
apathy and waste. These powerful themes
provide us with some understanding of the
physical, aggressive and presentational
S
approach to his theatrical style.
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'.
‘Total Theatre is a use of the imagination.
Actors express the genius of the body. Express
the story without a set’.
Full Pack Contains.
Biography Punch & Judy
Minimalism Jo-Ha-Kyu
Total Theatre Aesthetics
Levels of Exaggeration Mask
Rehearsal Process Mime
Greek Theatre Principle Terms
Grotesque
Kvetch
Essence Machine
In-Yer-Face
Mie
Burdens
17
Augusto
Boal.
1931 - 2009
Practitioner Guide
LE Invisible Theatre.
P
Invisible Theatre was used by Boal to address
a particular theme or social injustice. He would
get his actors to perform a previously
M
rehearsed play in a public place. Although
scripted in plot detail, they tended to depend
very much upon improvisation. However, the
audience would have no idea that this was a
A
piece of theatre and believe they were
watching a natural, real-life scene.
Boal would ask his actors to play the parts of
S
bystanders who would become involved in the
scene and voice strong opinions and what has
happened. This was Boal's way of encouraging
members of the public to get involved.
Boal's aim was to highlight societies' injustices

or provoke debate amongst the public who
watched it.
20
LE
P
Bomb & Shield.
Bomb & Shield is a game that forces
M
an actor to stay behind their 'shield
(another actor) and their 'bomb'
(another actor). Adding in a
A
countdown to increase frantic
movement around the space.
S
This game helped to establish group
awareness and dynamics.
19
Full Pack Contains.
Biography Parachute
Forum Theatre Objective & Gesture
Spect-Actors Bomb & Shield
Group Actor Training Invisible Theatre
Telling Stories Trust
Image Theatre Stop.Think.
Rationalising Emotion Key Quotes
Colombian Hypnosis
Pushing
The Greek Exercise
Chair Lift
Slow Motion Race
Grandmothers Footsteps
Jerzy
Grotowski.
1933 - 1999
Practitioner Guide
LE
P
Paratheatre.
The term "paratheatre" was coined
by Grotowski, to address a highly
M
dynamic and visceral
performance style that aimed to
erase traditional divisions between
A
audience and performers.
Para literally means 'beyond'. In

theatre practice, paratheatre
S
therefore lies outside and beyond
the spatial, temporal and
structural forms of performance.
Full Pack Contains.
Biography Actions
Purpose & Practice Plastiques
Learn by Doing Corporeals
Innovation Exercises in Composition
Poor Theatre Actor/Audience Relationship
The Laboratory Physical Impulses
Theatre Humility
Paratheatre Influences
Method of Physical Vocal Training
Actions Key Quotes
Yoga
Movement with Sticks
Scoring
Score of Physical
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Peter

Brook also frequently examined the theatre of

In search of freedom to pursue less

Let's take a closer look at each aspect.

Religious teaching - including Zen - asserts that this

The strengths of a Holy Theatre are also what limits its

Ultimately, Rough Theater is intelligent in its grasp of

Brook discusses his personal experiences in creating

Brook believes that the essence of theatrical

Suppose the actor is not 100% committed to the role

This is why Brook, in the 1950s, championed less-

What he is describing is non-directional

Brook suggests this exercise as a way of reinventing

The actor should stand and perform the selected

In addition, improvising is also an excellent way

Brook wanted to inspire Non-verbal

Actors need to understand all of the factual

Such notes and stage directions may not tell

are responsible for building the arc, flow, and pacing

Using this image of a tightrope, we

In many ways, this exercise is quite the

Take a look at some of our other

These objectives, when strung together,

STILL might be as simple as holding up a card or banner.

When Helene Weigel, the greatest performer of

This iconic theatrical moment is a fantastic example

Minimalism. dysfunctional families, poverty, the struggle of

As an actor, director and playwright and

Boal would ask his actors to play the parts of

Boal's aim was to highlight societies' injustices

Para literally means 'beyond'. In

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