Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal ...

, and from 1962 for the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

(RSC). With them, he directed the first English-language production in 1964 of ''

Marat/Sade ''The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade'' (german: Die Verfolgung und Ermordung Jean Paul Marats dargestellt durch die Schauspielgrupp ...

'' by Peter Weiss, which was transferred to Broadway in 1965 and won the

Tony Award for Best Play The Tony Award for Best Play (formally, the Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre) is an annual award given to the best new (non-musical) play on Broadway, as determined by Tony Award voters. There was no award in the Tonys' first yea ...

, and Brook was named Best Director. He also directed films such as an iconic version of '' Lord of the Flies'' in 1963. He was based in France from the early 1970s on, where he founded an international theatre company, playing in developing countries, in an approach of great simplicity. He was often referred to as "our greatest living theatre director". He won multiple

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

, a

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

, the Japanese Praemium Imperiale, the Prix Italia and the Europe Theatre Prize. In 2021, he was awarded India's

Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...

Early life

Brook was born on 21 March 1925 in the Bedford Park area of

Chiswick Chiswick ( ) is a district of west London, England. It contains Hogarth's House, the former residence of the 18th-century English artist William Hogarth; Chiswick House, a neo-Palladian villa regarded as one of the finest in England; and F ...

, the second son of Simon Brook and his wife Ida (Judelson), both

Lithuanian Jewish Lithuanian Jews or Litvaks () are Jews with roots in the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania (covering present-day Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, the northeastern Suwałki and Białystok regions of Poland, as well as adjacent ...

immigrants from

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

. The family home was at 27 Fairfax Road, Turnham Green. His elder brother Alexis became a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. His first cousin was Valentin Pluchek, chief director of the

Moscow Satire Theatre The Moscow Academic Theatre of Satire (russian: Московский академический театр сатиры) is a dramatic theatre in Moscow, Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country sp ...

. Brook was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

Gresham's School Gresham's School is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in Holt, Norfolk, England, one of the top thirty International Baccalaureate schools in England. The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a free g ...

, and

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the ...

, where he studied languages until 1945. Brook was excused from military service during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

due to childhood illness.

Career

England

Brook directed Marlowe's '' Dr Faustus'', his first production, in 1943 at the Torch Theatre in London, followed at the Chanticleer Theatre in 1945 with a revival of Cocteau's '' The Infernal Machine''. He was engaged from 1945 as stage director at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre (BRT). Hired by BRT direct Barry Jackson when he was just twenty years old, Jackson described Brook as "the youngest earthquake I've known". In 1947, Brook went to

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...

as assistant director on ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'' and ''

Love's Labour's Lost ''Love's Labour's Lost'' is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and his three companions a ...

'' for the

Shakespeare Memorial Theatre The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) (originally called the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) is a grade II* listed 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakes ...

. From 1947 to 1950, he was Director of Productions at the

in London. His work there included an effective re-staging of Puccini's ''

La bohème ''La bohème'' (; ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '' quadri'', '' tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giusep ...

'' using sets dating from 1899, in 1948, and a highly controversial staging of ''

Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμη), also known as Salome III, was a Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II, son of Herod the Great, and princess Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great, a ...

'' by Richard Strauss with sets by

Salvador Dalí Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquess of Dalí of Púbol (; ; ; 11 May 190423 January 1989) was a Spanish Surrealism, surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarr ...

in 1949. A proliferation of stage and screen work as producer and director followed. Howard Richardson's '' Dark of the Moon'' at the Ambassadors Theatre, London, in 1949 was an early, much admired production. From 1962, he was director of the

(RSC), together with Peter Hall. With them, he directed the first English-language production in 1964 of ''

'' by the German playwright Peter Weiss. It transferred to Broadway in 1965 and won the

, and Brook was named Best Director. In 1966, they presented ''US'', an anti-Vietnam War protest play.

Influences

Brook was influenced by the work of

Antonin Artaud Antoine Marie Joseph Paul Artaud, better known as Antonin Artaud (; 4 September 1896 – 4 March 1948), was a French writer, poet, dramatist, visual artist, essayist, actor and theatre director. He is widely recognized as a major figure of the E ...

and his ideas for his Theatre of Cruelty.

In England, Peter Brook and Charles Marowitz undertook The Theatre of Cruelty Season (1964) at the Royal Shakespeare Company, aiming to explore ways in which Artaud's ideas could be used to find new forms of expression and retrain the performer. The result was a showing of 'works in progress' made up of improvisations and sketches, one of which was the premier of Artaud's '' The Spurt of Blood''. :– Lee Jamieson, ''Antonin Artaud: From Theory to Practice'', Greenwich Exchange, 2007

His greatest influence, however, was Joan Littlewood. Brook described her as "the most galvanising director in mid-20th century Britain". Brook's work was also inspired by the theories of experimental theatre of

Jerzy Grotowski Jerzy Marian Grotowski (; 11 August 1933 – 14 January 1999) was a Polish theatre director and theorist whose innovative approaches to acting, training and theatrical production have significantly influenced theatre today. He was born in Rze ...

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a p ...

, Chris Covics and Vsevolod Meyerhold and by the works of G. I. Gurdjieff, Edward Gordon Craig, and

Matila Ghyka Prince Matila Costiescu Ghyka (; born ''Matila Costiescu''; 13 September 1881 – 14 July 1965), was a Romanian naval officer, novelist, mathematician, historian, philosopher, academic and diplomat. He did not return to Romania after World ...

Collaborators

Brook collaborated with actors Paul Scofield as Lear, John Gielgud in ''Measure for Measure'', and Glenda Jackson; designers

Georges Wakhévitch Georges Wakhévitch (russian: Георгий Леонидович Вахевич; Georgy Leonidovich Vakhevich; August 18, 1907 in Odessa, Russian Empire – February 11, 1984 in Paris) was a Russian-born French art director. The son of a naval e ...

and

Sally Jacobs Sally Jacobs (née Rich, 5 November 1932 – 16 August 2020) was a British stage designer and director. Early life Jacobs was born in Whitechapel, London on 5 November 1932. Her parents were Bernard and Esther Rich (née Bart), a furrier and mi ...

; and writers

Ted Hughes Edward James "Ted" Hughes (17 August 1930 – 28 October 1998) was an English poet, translator, and children's writer. Critics frequently rank him as one of the best poets of his generation and one of the twentieth century's greatest wri ...

and

William Golding Sir William Gerald Golding (19 September 1911 – 19 June 1993) was a British novelist, playwright, and poet. Best known for his debut novel '' Lord of the Flies'' (1954), he published another twelve volumes of fiction in his lifetime. In 198 ...

. Brook first encountered Wakhévitch in London when he saw the production of

Jean Cocteau Jean Maurice Eugène Clément Cocteau (, , ; 5 July 1889 – 11 October 1963) was a French poet, playwright, novelist, designer, filmmaker, visual artist and critic. He was one of the foremost creatives of the s ...

's ballet ''Le Jeune Homme et la Mort'' which Wakhévitch designed. Brook declared that he "was convinced that this was the designer for whom I had been waiting".

International Centre for Theatre Research

In 1971, with

Micheline Rozan Micheline Rozan (11 September 1928 – 7 September 2018) was a French stage and film producer who co-founded the International Centre for Theatre Research with British director Peter Brook. Early life Rozan was born into a Jewish family who ...

, Brook founded the

International Centre for Theatre Research The International Centre for Theatre Research, sometimes also known as The International Centre for Theatre Creation, was founded in 1970 by Peter Brook and Micheline Rozan. It is often abbreviated to the acronym CIRT, as in French the group is cal ...

, a multinational company of actors, dancers, musicians and others, which travelled widely in the Middle East and Africa in the early 1970s. It has been based in Paris at the Bouffes du Nord theatre since 1974. The troupe played at immigrant hostels, in villages and in refugee camps, sometimes for people who had never been exposed to theatre. In 2008 he resigned as its artistic director, beginning a three-year handover to

Olivier Mantei Olivier Mantei (born 24 February 1965, in Nantes) is a contemporary French director of theatre and opera stages. Since 2015, he has been director of the Opéra-Comique in Paris. Honours Mantei was made an officier of the National Order of Merit ...

and .

''The Mahabharata''

In the mid-1970s, Brook, with writer

Jean-Claude Carrière Jean-Claude Carrière (; 17 September 1931 – 8 February 2021) was a French novelist, screenwriter and actor. He received an Academy Award for best short film for co-writing '' Heureux Anniversaire'' (1963), and was later conferred an Honorary ...

, began work on adapting the Indian epic poem the ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...

'' into a stage play, which was first performed in 1985 and later developed into a televised mini series. In a long article in 1985, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' noted "overwhelming critical acclaim", and that the play "did nothing less than attempt to transform Hindu myth into universalized art, accessible to any culture". However, many post-colonial scholars have challenged the claim to universalism, accusing the play of

orientalism In art history, literature and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects in the Eastern world. These depictions are usually done by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world. In particular, Orientalist p ...

. Gautam Dasgupta wrote that "Brook's ''Mahabharata'' falls short of the essential Indianness of the epic by staging predominantly its major incidents and failing to adequately emphasize its coterminous philosophical precepts." In 2015, Brook returned to the world of ''The Mahabharata'' with a new

Young Vic The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Kwame Kwei-Armah has been Artistic Director since February 201 ...

production, '' Battlefield'', in collaboration with Jean-Claude Carrière and

Marie-Hélène Estienne Marie-Hélène Estienne is a French playwright and screenwriter, probably best known for her collaborations with the British director Peter Brook and the International Centre for Theatre Research at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris. ...

''Tierno Bokar''

In 2005, Brook directed ''Tierno Bokar'', based on the life of the Malian

sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...

of the same name. The play was adapted for the stage by Marie-Hélène Estienne from a book by Amadou Hampâté Bâ (translated into English as '' A Spirit of Tolerance: The Inspiring Life of Tierno Bokar''). The book and play detail Bokar's life and message of religious tolerance.

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

produced 44 related events, lectures, and workshops that were attended by over 3,200 people throughout the run of ''Tierno Bokar''. Panel discussions focused on topics of religious tolerance and

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

tradition in West Africa.

Personal life

In 1951, Brook married actress Natasha Parry. They had two children: Irina, an actress and director, and Simon, a director. Parry died of a stroke in July 2015, aged 84. Brook died in Paris on 2 July 2022, aged 97.

Work

Sources for Brook's productions are held by the

Academy of Arts An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, f ...

in Berlin, the Princess of Asturias Foundation, and others.

Shakespeare

Brook was fascinated with the works of Shakespeare which he produced in England and elsewhere, in films, and adaptation. In 1945, he began with '' King John'', with designer Paul Shelving at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. At the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, he directed ''

Measure for Measure ''Measure for Measure'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 and first performed in 1604, according to available records. It was published in the '' First Folio'' of 1623. The play's plot features its ...

'' in 1950 and ''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some cri ...

'' in 1952, both with John Gielgud, followed there by '' Hamlet Prince of Denmark'' in 1955, with Paul Scofield (Hamlet),

Alec Clunes Alexander Sheriff de Moro Clunes (17 May 1912 – 13 March 1970) was an English actor and theatrical manager. Among the plays he presented were Christopher Fry's '' The Lady's Not For Burning''. He gave the actor and dramatist Peter Ustinov ...

(Claudius), Diana Wynyard (Gertrude),

Mary Ure Eileen Mary Ure (18 February 1933 – 3 April 1975) was a British stage and film actress. She was the second Scottish-born actress (after Deborah Kerr) to be nominated for an Academy Award, for her role in the 1960 film ''Sons and Lovers''. Ear ...

(Ophelia), Ernest Thesiger (Polonius), Richard Johnson (Laertes), Michael David (Horatio), and Richard Pasco (Fortinbras). ''

Titus Andronicus ''Titus Andronicus'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593, probably in collaboration with George Peele. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy and is often seen as his attempt to emul ...

'', with

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...

and

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in '' Go ...

, was played there the same year, and also on a European tour in 1957. Brooks's 1953 staging of ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane a ...

'', for the American TV show '' Omnibus'', starred

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...

in Welles's first-ever television production. His first work for the Royal Shakespeare Company was in 1962 ''

'', with Paul Scofield. He created a legendary version of ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict a ...

'', with designer

(designer), John Kane (Puck),

Frances de la Tour Frances J. de Lautour (born 30 July 1944), better known as Frances de la Tour, is an English actress. She is known for her role as Miss Ruth Jones in the television sitcom '' Rising Damp'' from 1974 until 1978. She is a Tony Award winner and th ...

(Helena), Ben Kingsley (Demetrius) and Patrick Stewart (Snout) in 1970. He directed the film ''

'', again with Scofield, in 1971. He kept producing works by Shakespeare for the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord, in French, including '' Timon d'Athènes'', adaptated by

, 1974, ''Mesure pour mesure'' in 1978 and as a film a year later, ''La Tempête'', adaptated by Carrière, with Sotigui Kouyaté in 1990. He directed ''The Tragedy of Hamlet'', with Adrian Lester (Hamlet), Jeffery Kissoon (Claudius / Ghost), Natasha Parry (Gertrude), Shantala Shivalingappa (Ophelia), Bruce Myers (Polonius), Rohan Siva (Laertes / Guildenstern), Scott Handy (Horatio) and Yoshi Oida (Player King / Rosencrantz) in 2000, followed by a TV film version in 2002. In 2009, he directed a theatrical version of sonnets, ''Love is my Sin''. In 2010, Shakespeare was among the authors for the production ''Warum warum'' (''Why Why''), written by Brook and

after also

, Edward Gordon Craig,

Charles Dullin Charles Dullin (; 8 May 1885 – 11 December 1949) was a French actor, theater manager and director. Career Dullin began his career as an actor in melodrama:185 In 1908, he started his first troupe with Saturnin Fabre, the ''Théâtre de Foire ...

, Vsevolod Meyerhold and Motokiyo Zeami.

Works with RSC

* 1946: ''

'' (

) * 1947: ''

'' (Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) * 1950: ''

'', with John Gielgud (Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) * 1952: ''

'', with John Gielgud (Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) * 1955: ''

'', with

and

(Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) * 1957: '' The Tempest'', with John Gielgud (Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) * 1962: ''

'' with Paul Scofield * 1964: ''

'' * 1966: ''US'', an anti-Vietnam War protest play with The Royal Shakespeare Company, documented in the film '' Benefit of the Doubt'' * 1970: ''

'', with John Kane (Puck),

(Helena), Ben Kingsley (Demetrius) and Patrick Stewart (Snout): see 1970 Royal Shakespeare Company production of A Midsummer Night's Dream * 1978: ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' ( First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in aroun ...

'', with Glenda Jackson,

Alan Howard Alan Howard may refer to: * Alan Howard (actor) (1937–2015), English actor * Alan Howard (cricketer) (1909–1993), English cricketer * Alan Howard (engineer) (1905–1966), American engineer * Alan Howard (hedge fund manager) (born 1963), hedge ...

, Jonathan Pryce,

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his deep, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and became a member of the Royal Shakesp ...

, Juliet Stevenson, Patrick Stewart and

David Suchet Sir David Courtney Suchet''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor known for his work on British stage and television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppen ...

Other major productions

* 1951: ''

A Penny for a Song ''A Penny for a Song'' is a 1951 historical comedy play by the British writer John Whiting. In 1967 it was adapted into an opera of the same title by Richard Rodney Bennett, performed at Sadler's Wells. It premiered at Wimbledon Theatre before ...

'', by John Whiting * 1955: ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'', with Paul Scofield * 1956: ''

A View from the Bridge ''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with ''A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, and M ...

'', by Arthur Miller * 1958: '' The Visit'', with

Alfred Lunt Alfred David Lunt (August 12, 1892 – August 3, 1977) was an American actor and director, best known for his long stage partnership with his wife, Lynn Fontanne, from the 1920s to 1960, co-starring in Broadway and West End productions. After th ...

and

Lynn Fontanne Lynn Fontanne (; 6 December 1887 – 30 July 1983) was an English actress. After early success in supporting roles in the West End theatre, West End, she met the American actor Alfred Lunt, whom she married in 1922 and with whom she co-starred i ...

* 1964: ''

'', by Peter Weiss * 1968: ''

Oedipus Oedipus (, ; grc-gre, Οἰδίπους "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus accidentally fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby ...

'' with John Gielgud and Irene Worth, adapted by

, National Theatre * 1971: ''

Orghast ''Orghast'' was an experimental play based on the myth of Prometheus, written by Peter Brook and Ted Hughes, and performed in 1971 at the Festival of Arts of Shiraz-Persepolis, which was held annually from 1967 to 1977. It was performed in two p ...

'', by Ted Hughes * 1974: ''Timon d'Athènes'', adaptation by

Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord The Bouffes du Nord is a theatre at 37 bis, boulevard de la Chapelle, in the 10th arrondissement of Paris located near the Gare du Nord. It has been listed since 1993 as a ''monument historique'' by the French Ministry of Culture. History Founde ...

* 1975: '' Les Iks'', by

Colin Turnbull Colin Macmillan Turnbull (November 23, 1924 – July 28, 1994) was a British-American anthropologist who came to public attention with the popular books ''The Forest People'' (on the Mbuti Pygmies of Zaire) and '' The Mountain People'' (on the Ik ...

, adaptation Jean-Claude Carrière, Théâtre des Bouffes * 1977: ''Ubu aux Bouffes'', after

Alfred Jarry Alfred Jarry (; 8 September 1873 – 1 November 1907) was a French symbolist writer who is best known for his play ''Ubu Roi'' (1896). He also coined the term and philosophical concept of 'pataphysics. Jarry was born in Laval, Mayenne, France, ...

, Théâtre des Bouffes * 1978: '' Mesure pour mesure'', by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

, Théâtre des Bouffes * 1979: ''La Conférence des oiseaux'' ('' The Conference of the Birds''), after

Farid al-Din Attar Abū Ḥamīd bin Abū Bakr Ibrāhīm (c. 1145 – c. 1221; fa, ابو حامد بن ابوبکر ابراهیم), better known by his pen-names Farīd ud-Dīn () and ʿAṭṭār of Nishapur (, Attar means apothecary), was a PersianRitter, H. ...

, Festival d'Avignon; Théâtre des Bouffes * 1979: ''L'Os de Mor Lam'', by

Birago Diop Birago Diop (11 December 1906 – 25 November 1989) was a Senegalese poet and storyteller whose work restored general interest in African folktales and promoted him to one of the most outstanding African francophone writers.La Tragédie de Carmen'', after Prosper Mérimée, Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, Viviane Beaumont Theater,

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 milli ...

, New York City * 1981: ''

La Cerisaie LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...

'', by

Anton Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...

, Théâtre des Bouffes * 1984: ''Tchin-Tchin'', by François Billetdoux, directed with

Maurice Bénichou Maurice Bénichou (23 January 1943 in Tlemcen, French Algeria – 14 June 2019) was a French actor. His best known roles include three collaborations with director Michael Haneke ('' Code inconnu'', '' Le Temps du Loup'', and '' Caché''), and a ...

, with

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top di ...

Théâtre Montparnasse The Théâtre Montparnasse is a theatre at 31, rue de la Gaîté in the 14th arrondissement of Paris. History After the death of famed Paris theatre builder and artistic director Henri Larochelle (1826-1884), his widow, along with former actor ...

* 1985: ''Le Mahabharata'' (''

The Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Ku ...

''), Festival d'Avignon * 1988: ''The Cherry Orchard'' by

, Majestic Theatre,

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

* 1989: ''Woza Albert!'', by Percy Mtawa, Mbongeni Ngema and Barney Simon * 1990: '' La Tempête'', by William Shakespeare, adaptation by Jean-Claude Carrière, with Sotigui Kouyaté, Théâtre des Bouffes * 1992: ''Impressions de Pelléas'', after

Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most infl ...

, Théâtre des Bouffes * 1993: ''L'Homme Qui'', after '' The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat'' by Oliver Sacks * 1995: ''Qui est là'', after texts by

, Edward Gordon Craig, Vsevolod Meyerhold,

Konstantin Stanislavski Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski ( Alekseyev; russian: Константин Сергеевич Станиславский, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin sʲɪrˈgʲejɪvʲɪtɕ stənʲɪˈslafskʲɪj; 7 August 1938) was a seminal Soviet Russian ...

and Motokiyo Zeami * 1995: '' Oh les beaux jours'', by

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and Tragicomedy, tr ...

* 1998: ''Je suis un phénomène'', after ''prodigieuse mémoire'' by

Alexander Luria Alexander Romanovich Luria (russian: Алекса́ндр Рома́нович Лу́рия, p=ˈlurʲɪjə; 16 July 1902 – 14 August 1977) was a Soviet neuropsychologist, often credited as a father of modern neuropsychology. He develope ...

* 1998: ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; Köchel catalogue, K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The rake (stock character), Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Pon ...

'' by Mozart, for the 50th Festival International d'Art Lyrique d'Aix-en-Provence * 1999: ''Le Costume'', by

Can Themba Daniel Canodoise "Can" Themba (21 June 1924 – 8 September 1967) was a South African short-story writer. Early life Themba was born in Marabastad, near Pretoria, but wrote most of his work in Sophiatown, Johannesburg, South Africa. The town ...

* 2000: ''

'' by William Shakespeare, with Adrian Lester * 2002: ''Far Away'', by

Caryl Churchill Caryl Lesley Churchill (born 3 September 1938) is a British playwright known for dramatising the abuses of power, for her use of non- naturalistic techniques, and for her exploration of sexual politics and feminist themes.

* 2002: ''La Mort de Krishna'', extract from

Vyasa Krishna Dvaipayana ( sa, कृष्णद्वैपायन, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known as Vyasa (; sa, व्यासः, Vyāsaḥ, compiler) or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, ''Veda-vyāsaḥ'', "the one who cl ...

, adaptation by Jean-Claude Carrière and

* 2003: ''Ta main dans la mienne'', by Carol Rocamora * 2004: ''

Tierno Bokar Tierno Bokar ( ff, Cerno Bokar), full name Tierno Bokar Saalif Tall (1875 – 1939), was a Malian mystic, Sufi sage, and a Muslim spiritual teacher of the early twentieth century famous for his message of religious tolerance and universal lo ...

'', after ''Vie et enseignement de Tierno Bokar-Le sage de Bandiagara'' by Amadou Hampâté Bâ, with Sotigui Kouyaté * 2004: ''Le Grand Inquisiteur'', after ''

The Brothers Karamazov ''The Brothers Karamazov'' (russian: Братья Карамазовы, ''Brat'ya Karamazovy'', ), also translated as ''The Karamazov Brothers'', is the last novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Dostoevsky spent nearly two years writing '' ...

'' by Dostoyevsky * 2006: '' Sizwe Banzi est mort'', by

Athol Fugard Athol Fugard, Hon. , (born 11 June 1932), is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright. He is best known for his political and penetrating plays opposing the system of apart ...

, John Kani and Winston Ntshona, Festival d'Avignon * 2008: ''Fragments'', after

* 2009: ''Love is my sin'', sonnets by William Shakespeare * 2009: ''11 and 12'', after ''Vie et enseignement de Tierno Bokar-Le Sage de Bandiagara'' by Amadou Hampâté Bâ * 2010: ''Warum warum'', by Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne after Antonin Artaud, Edward Gordon Craig,

, Vsevolod Meyerhold, Motokiyo Zeami and William Shakespeare * 2011: ''A Magic Flute'', an adaptation of Mozart's ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (German: , ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a '' Singspiel'', a popular form during the time it was written that in ...

'', directed with Marie-Hélène Estienne, composer Franck Krawczyk to positive reviews at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater of John Jay College. * 2013: '' The Suit'', after Can Themba's tale, directed with Marie-Hélène Estienne and Franck Krawczyk * 2015: '' Battlefield'', from ''The Mahabharata'' and Jean-Claude Carrière's play, adapted and directed by Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne * 2018: ''The Prisoner'', written and directed by Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne * 2019: '' 'Why?' ''. Written and directed by Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne

Filmography

* 1953: '' The Beggar's Opera'' * 1960: '' Moderato Cantabile'' (UK title ''Seven Days... Seven Nights'') with

Jeanne Moreau Jeanne Moreau (; 23 January 1928 – 31 July 2017) was a French actress, singer, screenwriter, director, and socialite. She made her theatrical debut in 1947, and established herself as one of the leading actresses of the Comédie-Française. M ...

and

Jean-Paul Belmondo Jean-Paul Charles Belmondo (; 9 April 19336 September 2021) was a French actor and producer. Initially associated with the New Wave of the 1960s, he was a major French film star for several decades from the 1960s onward. His best known credits ...

* 1963: '' Lord of the Flies'' * 1967: '' Ride of the Valkyrie'' * 1967: ''

'' * 1968: ''

Tell Me Lies Tell may refer to: *Tell (archaeology), a type of archaeological site *Tell (name), a name used as a given name and a surname *Tell (poker), a subconscious behavior that can betray information to an observant opponent Arts, entertainment, and m ...

'' * 1971: ''

'' * 1979: '' Meetings with Remarkable Men'' * 1979: ''Mesure pour mesure'' * 1982: ''La Cerisaie'' * 1983: ''La Tragédie de Carmen'' * 1989: ''

'' * 2002: ''The Tragedy of

'' (TV) * 2012: ''The Tightrope'' (documentary film, co-written and directed by Simon Brook)

Awards

* Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for ''

'', 1966 * Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for ''

'', 1971 * Brigadier Prize, 1975, for '' Timon of Athens'' * Grand Prix Dominique, 1981 *

, 1983 *

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

, 1984, for ''La tragédie de Carmen'' * Prix Italia, 1984 * Europe Theatre Prize, 1989 * International Emmy Award, 1990, for ''

'' *

Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy The Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy is awarded once a year by the Inamori Foundation for lifetime achievements in the arts and philosophy. The Prize is one of three Kyoto Prize categories; the others are the Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technolog ...

, 1991 * Praemium Imperiale, 1997 * Dan David Prize, 2005 * The Ibsen Award for 2008, first winner of the prize of NOK 2.5 mill (approximately £200,000). * Critics' Circle Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts 2008

Honours

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

, 1965 * Induction into the

American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...

, 1983 * Honorary

DLitt Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...

University of Birmingham , mottoeng = Through efforts to heights , established = 1825 – Birmingham School of Medicine and Surgery1836 – Birmingham Royal School of Medicine and Surgery1843 – Queen's College1875 – Mason Science College1898 – Mason Univers ...

, 1990 *

Honorary Fellow Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in ...

, 1991 * Honorary

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...

, 1990 * Honorary

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

, 1994 * Officier de l'Ordre de la

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

(France), 1995 *

Companion of Honour The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded on 4 June 1917 by King George V as a reward for outstanding achievements. Founded on the same date as the Order of the British Empire, it is sometimes ...

, 1998 (He previously declined a knighthood.) * President's Medal by the

British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars s ...

, 2011 * Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur (France), 2013 * Princess of Asturias Award in Arts, 2019 *

(India), 2021

Europe Theatre Prize

In 1989 he was awarded the II Europe Theatre Prize in

Taormina Taormina ( , , also , ; scn, Taurmina) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on ...

, with the following motivation:

In the field of world theatre of the second half of our century, the long theoretical and practical work of Peter Brook has – without any doubt – unrivalled merits, which are – broadly speaking – unique. Brook's first merit is that of having always pursued an authentic research outside the sterile 'routine' of what he has defined as 'Deadly Theatre'. Brook's second merit is that of having been able to use different languages of contemporary scene; in the same way he has been able to unify the variety of languages. Brook's third merit is that of having discovered and given back a bright vitality to some great cultural and theatrical heritages which hitherto had remained distant from us both in space and time. Nevertheless – without any doubt – Brook's noblest and most constant merit is that of having never separated the strictness and finesse of research from the necessity that the result of those ones would have had the audience as their receiver and interlocutor; the audience which is also requested to renew its habits.

Bibliography

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References

External links

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* * * * * *

Experimental Theatre Organization

(review) Caravan Magazine * {{DEFAULTSORT:Brook, Peter 1925 births 2022 deaths 20th-century British male writers 21st-century British male writers Acting theorists Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford British expatriates in France British opera directors British theatre directors Brook family Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Emmy Award winners English Jews English people of Latvian-Jewish descent English theatre directors Film directors from London Jewish film people Jewish theatre directors Kyoto laureates in Arts and Philosophy Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Padma Shri Award People from Chiswick Prix Italia winners Recipients of the Praemium Imperiale Recipients of the President's Medal (British Academy) Royal Shakespeare Company members Theatre practitioners Tony Award winners Writers from London Students of George Gurdjieff