 Steven Berkoff in One Man
Theatre Royal, Hobart
August 29-30
When I was studying performing arts, Steven Berkoff was the guy all the male students wanted to be (apart from the couple of pretty boys whose hero was Jesse Spencer from Neighbours, and the one slightly odd kid who wanted to be Christopher Walken).
He was tough. He was brooding. He was Marlon Brando with good diction. He was the man born to play the ... the only guy who could actually make David Mamet dialogue believable. He was the acting god, from the far away acting Mecca of America. We never thought we might actually get to see him in person. Sure, he was in Australia in 2005, with his Shakespeare's Villains, but we were still students then, barely able to scrape together the cost of a packet of two minute noodles, let alone the flights, accommodation and tickets we would have needed to bear witness to the great man.
Now, many of the guys I went to drama school with are working in local theatre, or in call centres (except for that weird guy, who gets the occasional bit part playing the creepy milk bar worker, or third alien from the left in Star Wars films). Still, I reckon there's a few of us who will be making a pilgrimage to the Theatre Royal on August 29 and 30 to sit in awe in Berkoff's presence.
While Berkoff's 2005 appearance was all about the great nasties in Shakespeare, this incarnation is much more... well... him. This year Berkoff bursts back onto the stage with One Man. Consisting of two edge of your seat one-act plays, Tell-tale Heart and Dog, One Man proves that, while he might rock a Shakespearean villain, Berkoff is one man who can stand alongside the bard in terms of theatrical power.
Tell-tale Heart is based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It is a study of sanity, of violence, of horror, and of despair. It is told by a man who stands alone in the spotlight; a man whose confession about how killing and dismembering a neighbour whose "vulture eye" sent him mad went surely but steadily wrong will stay with you for a long time after watching.
Dog is something a bit different. A Steven Berkoff original work, the story centres on a bizarre and hilarious day in the life of a British footy yob and his dog, Roy. If you liked last year's fantastic film, This is England, you will be captivated by this indictment of modern English football hooliganism.
Indeed, for those of us who have already been exposed to the magic of Berkoff – through his writing, his stage work or his move and TV roles – his stint at the Theatre Royal will be a definite, captivating must-see. This is a man who has performed in works from Shakespeare to Beverley Hills Cop; from James Bond's Octopussy to Playstation 3 game Heavenly Sword. He has been inciting equal parts wonder and controversy since the 1950s, when his infamous “c***” speech in East saw him ride a wave of scandal onto the beach of public consciousness.
He is a legend. Get your tickets now, before all the seats are taken up by former, failed acting hopefuls. You won't regret it. Berkoff is one man whose work will change your life.
Go to http://www.theatreroyal.com.au/ - steven berkoff for more details.
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