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East
Berkoff says that East was "written in a mood of exaltation and frivolity. It was an experiment in playwriting and an attempt to be bold". East is one of Berkoff´s most enjoyable plays and is a good place to start to get to know Berkoff´s works.
It is episodic and much like the Falstaff scenes from Shakespeare's Henry plays. Les and Mike and later the other members of their family tell stories building up a picture of their life. The language uses London slang and verse. The London 1999 production was directed by Berkoff and demonstrated the humour in the play, and the visual aspects which reading the play only hints at. The motorbike scene was one of the most beautiful theatre moments ever. There is a video available of this staging. For a summary of East and guide to the language used
click here.
West
a lasso of love encircles her
like I was pursued by wolves
who can undo what has to be done
this mouse has eaten my pie miss/ the waitress says: what and its still alive
stars hide your fires/ let night not see my dark and deep desires
no more terrified cats
his heart will beat a terrible drum/ and want to burst to spread some
numbing death relieving darkness Berkoff says West is about courage, the
courage to live according to your spirit, and not the
guidelines laid down for you by others, to be true to
yourself which may involve alienating others, but your
truth is worth pursuing since it defines who you
are. The play was commissioned by the BBC but they
rejected it. Berkoff says "I had problems with this
play and it was indeed my ´bonus´ play, since I had no
desire or will to write it".
Very similar to East with the same characters,
it would be interesting to see both on a double bill.
West leads up to a gang fight, and on the way the leaders
rally the troops like Henry V "those that do not
fight this day will think themselves accursed they were
not there". David Schwimmer of Friends said
his most memorable theatrical experience was
"playing Mike in West... with my theatre company in
Chicago". The play is based on Beowulf. In Delinquent Berkoff describes an incident in his youth "So a 'public' battle was arranged by the heavies for their amusement and one night in early spring, when it was still light we all walked to Clapton Pond... Yes, it did feel like a tale of ancient chivalry: Beowulf waiting for the Beast".
Decadence
unzip your ears and let me flood them with verbs
the tape unwinds the story starts afresh
dead herrings of past hurts
quiet as death still as stone
no you can't say those nasty words on stage/ you'll have the Tory mothers in a spitting rage
his shrunken shark
shame about the cat
please Maggie put your money where your mouth is
a torrent of lords, barons and knights
lberation? this is it girl!
Another Steve, played by Berkoff. Two actors
playing two couples in a story of excess, a play based on
hatred of the well-off. At times similar to Monty Pythons
Mr Creosote (and one scene very similar). The verse
dialogue works well and the movement from one couple to
the other (played by the same people) is effective. When Rhys Muldoon was asked "Of all your roles,
which has been most fun?" his answer was Decadence (from Sydney Morning Herald, 24 Sept 2011,
click here).
Greek A modern Oedipus. Berkoff calls it a mirror to
the warts and sores of our septic isle.
The first half is similar to East and West, with mime and chorus mixed with
rhyme as the story is established. The second half has the husband and
wife comfortably in place as the consequences unravel.
The play was adapterd into an opera by
Mark-Anthony Turnage. The Royal Opera House said "Turnage’s first
opera, Greek, established his reputation as an artist forging a path
between modernism and tradition, with a blend of jazz and classical
styles" (ROH press release, 24 Jan 2025).
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