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An archive of the Hot News from 2003

Tough Acts! - book, on-line and reading

A new book by Steven Berkoff.  It's out now.  Tough Acts! is a collection of eleven profiles of personalities he has worked with.

The Guardian newspaper (Great Britain) published a major 3500 word excerpt  in the 17 Oct 2003 issue.  There are excerpts from the chapters about Kubrick, Stallone, Pacino and Eddie Murphy. Click on the image to read the extracts on-line.

Thanks to Kari for the information.

Messiah in London with Steven Berkoff

Messiah has its London premiere at the Old Vic on 24 Nov 2003 for a six week run (so covering the Christmas period).  Berkoff will play the role of Satan.  Thanks to Kari for the information.

The Tell-Tale Heart

Berkoff´s solo performance of Poe's Tell-Tale Heart is available on video. It was filmed at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town in November.  It was shot for the video, so is good quality with lots of close-ups and playing to the camera, and avoiding that "filmed play" quality.  It also includes a short interview with Steven about the performance.

Requiem for Ground Zero

You can read Berkoff´s poem about 11 September.  It is on-line at the official Berkoff site, and you can also order a special limited edition from there.  Click here to read the poem (link has gone).

Films

	Charlie A film about Charlie Robertson with Berkoff playing the father.
	Headrush Berkoff acting the villain, in a black comedy filmed in Ireland. Berkoff says "Well I play a rather eccentric character – who’s a kind of Glaswegian villain, living in Ireland, and he’s in the drug trade. And he has this nephew, who was a bit of an innocent, what do you call him? I don’t know... the prodigal son, and he’s got into a little bit of villainy and he thinks he’ll use his uncle to get into some quick money. So he comes to see his uncle, but his uncle is this lunatic, and they don’t realise what they’re letting themselves in for. So basically it’s a kind of an action caper, where I’m playing this guy called ‘Uncle’ who’s a bit of a kind of lad, you know". Click on the image to hear Berkoff.  Shimmy Markus is the director.
	Bokshu: The Myth Berkoff is filming Bokshu: The Myth based on the Hindi novel Mriganthak. The director is Shyamaprasad: "The film is set in a village called Jaled, somewhere in the Himalayan valley. Two American anthropologists (Heather Prete and David Millbern), come to Jaled in search of their lost professor (Steven Berkoff). The film captures the adventures they encounter, as they meet the high priest of a temple (Irfan Khan) and his beautiful assistant (Nandana Sen). The story eventually moves to its fantastic climax as the myth of Bokshu is revealed." Click on the image for more details.

Coriolanus and The Trial on video

Video recordings of Berkoff´s Coriolanus and The Trial are now available, joining the highly recommended East and Salome. For details click here.

Shakespeare's Villains and more Berkoff

Berkoff´s highly recommended one-man show is continuing its tour.  Current dates in 2003 include:

 
Thanks to Kari for the information.

Decadence in Canterbury, UK

Decadence is on at Lumley Studio, UKC, Canterbury on 20-21 Nov 2003.

The director is Michael Twaits.  The actors are Kiera Moran and Brett Walsh and the designer is Emma Wood. There will be a reading at the Cheltenham Literary Festival on 19 Oct 2003.  There is also a chance Berkoff and Corin Redgrave will reprise their Wilde reading at the festival.

Re: The Persecution of David Blaine

Why, one may ask, is the sight of a performing artist, specifically, the sight of the performing artist David Blaine acting as a source of inspiration to British sadism? Support this man's right to perform his acts without harassment and bullying from the scum that seems to have surfaced.

It was reported in The Times (September 18) that an antagonistic group will be gathering at the site in London on Saturday from 2.00 PM. If you wish to show support for the right of an individual to express himself without harassment or persecution, please turn up Saturday, 20 September at 2.00 PM to show that the British are not all barbarians and leering fascists!

Steven Berkoff, 18 Sept 2003

Edinburgh Festival

Berkoff is a tradition at the Edinburgh Festival.  Berkoff himself is performing Actor, Requiem and Shakespeare's Villains (see below for details).

Kvetch is performed by Vivant  at the Pleasance Attic.  It on at various times on 18-26 Aug 2003.  Click on the image for details.

Decadence in South Africa

Decadence is on in Johannesburg, South Africa, to 31 Aug 2003.  Its at the Tesson Theatre, Civic Theatre complex, Braamfontein.  The actors are Michael Richard and Fiona Ramsay, and the director is Graham Hopkins.

East

East, directed by Michael Fentiman, is continuing its tour: - the Playhouse, Harrow, Essex on 20-21 Mar 2003 - Stratford Circus, London on 25 Mar 2003 - the Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke on 27-29 Mar 2003 Click on the images for details.

 

Irish Peacock and Scarlet Marquess- The Real Trial of Oscar Wilde

For one performance only Berkoff and Corin Redgrave will perform extracts from the trial of Oscar Wilde in a rehearsed reading. Its on 9 April 2003 in the British Library, London. Redgrave plays Wilde and Berkoff the prosecutor Edward Carson. The event is part of the British Library's Wilde events, and promotes the first ever the publication of the transcript.

 

Kafka´s The Bucket Rider