Peter Brook
Peter Brook was a lovely guy. I love him #ripbrookie. He was also a theatre director and practitioner born in the 1920s whose work became hugely influential within the 20th-century avant-garde movement. His ideas have inspired many later directors, including Alexander Zeldin, known for productions such as The Other Place. Brook's approach drew on a wide range of earlier practitioners and traditions.
A central idea in Brook's work was that theatre can happen anywhere. He argued that if someone watches another person walk across an empty space, an actor and audience already exist, and theatre is created. Because of this belief, his productions were often organic, improvisational, and imaginative. He favoured minimalist staging so that the audience's focus remained on the actors and their own imagination rather than elaborate scenery. His interpretations of plays were often unconventional and encouraged the audience to actively imagine the world of the performance. Like Jerzy Grotowski, Brook also emphasised physical theatre techniques—such as mime, clowning, ensemble work, and non-Western performance styles—to tell stories. I am personally fond of Brook's style, and am potentially considering as working under the style of Brook for my Extract 3 performance for Component 3.
Many of Brook's productions explored timeless stories and universal themes. He frequently worked with texts by William Shakespeare as well as material from non-Western theatrical traditions, focusing on deeply human emotions and experiences. Brook also believed strongly in collaboration, encouraging actors and ensemble members to contribute ideas that shaped the final performance.
One of Brook's most famous productions was his version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company. The production was considered revolutionary. In keeping with Brook's minimalist approach, the set—designed by Sally Jacobs—was a simple white box with multiple doors and openings in the walls for entrances. Trapezes were suspended from above so that fairies and magical characters could swing into the space, creating a playful and surreal effect. Rather than presenting the fairies in a literal or naturalistic way, Brook encouraged the audience to imagine them for themselves, reflecting his belief that theatre should rely on imagination rather than realism.
Four Main Theories
In his 1968 book about his works (kinda narcissistic icl), he wrote about his four types of theatre...
Deadly
Holy
Rough
Immediate
Brook describes Deadly Theatre to be that of imitation, with directors and writers' sole purpose being economic gain. They rely on past success and gimmicks without particularly exploring any deeper meaning of the piece; actors do not move past the emotional facades the role presents. Brook outlines quite bluntly to be honest that both the audience and the theatre are disingenuous, again, with the sole or driving purpose of creating the piece being monetary gain.
One of my favourites of the four theories. At the start of this section of the book, Brook uses the metaphor of a conductor. They feel the music, the invisible, the music takes possession of him, through him, it takes us. He mentions 'empty space' literally, and that in order for an audience to be intrigued and affected by a piece of theatre, the invisible needs to be made - metaphorically - visible. Through emotions. Often implies solitary catharsis, maybe not solitary, but personal.
My top personal favourite of the four theories. Rough Theatre has a purpose of bringing people together in a non-uniform, beautifully vibrant and human burst of community connection. Often using satire, humour and unrefined, raw, sometimes messy - but honest - performances to create a unifying experience for an audience. 'Rough Theatre deals with real actions, social commentary, and immediate, militant energy.' It is the community aspect which motivates my likening for it.
Immediate Theatre has an emphasis on spontaneity. It is characterised by each performance being unique, particularly for the actor who probably has to perform the same piece multiple times. 'It focuses on delivering "real" experience and profound truth, rather than acting in a stereotypical or overly rehearsed way.' Hence, Brook highlights that each rehearsal should be different; the rehearsal space is a theatrical laboratory, where new discoveries about a piece are made, informing interpretations, I think.
'Be aware of what you are experiencing... If the body isn't alive, the soles of the feet forget'
Techniques
Brook used many techniques which is annoying because there are so may to choose from, but I have chosen my favourite two below:
Mirror Reflection
Sound in Circle
This simple exercise is repeated throughout Brook's rehearsal notes. Rigorous copying of improvised movement creates a concentration on an actor's physicality.
- Two members of the group focus on an everyday task, one leading and one following through the mirror.
- The activity must be watched by the members of the ensemble and then commented on.
- The actors then should move with 'free invention', once again the activity should be dissected by the ensemble.
- Intensive discussion should follow the activity before it is repeated by other members of the ensemble.
Brook's works also emphasise sound.
- With the same setup as the Mirror Reflection, one actor sits in the middle with the other actors sitting on the edges facing outward.
- The centre actor makes a sound that is then imitated by the other actors.
- The sound is then repeated by the actor in the centre of the group, as the exercise is repeated members of the outer circle supplement the sound. This might be done vocally, or by drumming the floor or percussively hitting the body – creating harmonies and rhythms that liberate the actor from words.
Influences
Peter Brook was strongly influenced by several earlier theatre practitioners whose ideas shaped his approach to performance.
One major influence was Antonin Artaud and his concept of the Theatre of Cruelty. Artaud believed theatre should affect the audience on a deep, emotional level by engaging the senses rather than relying mainly on dialogue or traditional storytelling. His work emphasised intense physical expression, movement, sound, rhythm, and visual imagery to communicate meaning. Instead of focusing on realistic sets and detailed scripts, Artaud argued that theatre should be stripped back to its raw, essential elements so that the performer's body, voice, and presence became the most important tools. Brook adopted many of these ideas, particularly the belief that theatre should create a powerful sensory experience and that meaning can be communicated through movement, gesture, and atmosphere rather than just words.
Brook was also influenced by Jerzy Grotowski and his concept of "poor theatre." Grotowski believed that theatre did not need elaborate costumes, lighting, or scenery because the most important element was the actor. He focused on rigorous actor training and physical discipline so performers could fully use their bodies and voices to express emotion and story. Another key aspect of Grotowski's work was the intimate relationship between actor and audience, often staging performances in small spaces where spectators were close to the action. Brook was inspired by this idea that theatre could exist with very few technical elements, reinforcing his belief that theatre could happen in any space and that the actor–audience relationship is central to the performance.
Another practitioner who we do not look at in Skinners', but was still a massive influence to Brook nonetheless, was Jacques Copeau. Copeau emphasised the importance of actor training, particularly focusing on the actor's physicality and expressive movement. He encouraged the use of mime, mask work, and improvisation to develop creativity and strengthen the performer's ability to communicate without relying solely on speech. These techniques helped actors become more aware of their bodies and how movement could convey character and emotion.
By combining these influences, Brook developed a theatrical style that prioritised the actor's physical presence, imagination, and direct connection with the audience. His performances often included elements of physical theatre such as mime, clowning, and ensemble movement. This approach created performances that were energetic, playful, and sometimes humorous, while still exploring deeper human themes and emotions. Brook believed that when theatre focuses on the creativity of the actors and the imagination of the audience, it becomes more immediate, universal, and powerful.
Classwork
In our first lesson looking at Brook - Tuesday 17th March 2026 - our teacher took us through an exercise in which we had to walk around the space and then respond to the type of room she would tell us we were entering. For example, she would call out 'heavy' or 'fragile' and we were told to pay attention to how every single part of our bodies was responding, even the parts that an audience would not be able to see. 'An actor's belief, will make the audience believe.' Further up on this blog page, I mentioned Brook's metaphor of a composer feeling the music, or the 'invisible', when talking about Brook's Holy Theatre; the audience should be engaged in every part of the story an actor is telling.
We then got into pairs, and were told to mime throwing a ball. This task, yet again, got us to pay attention to every part of our bodies when we threw and caught the imaginary ball, but another layer was added on top of that, being aware of the other actor and how their body was moving and why.
Next lesson, we are all bringing two of Brook's rehearsal techniques to conduct.