Berkoff - 'Total Theatre'

• Large scale mime and the juxtaposition of this with spare dialogue and phatic utterances.
• The replacement of props and furniture with what can be created by the actors bodies.
• The almost 'hieratic' leading characters, taking the audience through the narrative.
• The link within the idea of the 'Total theatre' which seeks to attract an almost spirited response from the audience through using all the resources of theatre including athletics.
• Emphasis upon the figure of the actor as the most important and creative aspect of performance.
• Berkoff has a distinctively physical style of acting with the emphasis on physical theatre and mime.
• Scenery is significant by its absence.
• Through the actors words, position and physical attitude in relation to the audience, Berkoff's characters establish themselves as 'story tellers'.
• Performances are orchestrated, the words uttered, the way they are spoken, facial expression and movement are all choreographed to inform each other.
• An actor can be visually a lone figure on stage but take on different purposes.

"I didn't want to do anything even remotely ordinary"