Berkoff, Steven 1937- (Stephen Berkoff)

PERSONAL

Original name, Leslie Steven Berks; born August 3, 1937, in Stepney, London, England; son of Alfred (a tailor) and Pauline (maiden name, Hyman) Berkoff; married Shelley Lee (a dancer and choreographer), August 21, 1976 (marriage ended). Education: Trained at Webber-Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts, London, 1958-59, and Ecole Jacques Le Coq, Paris, 1965.

Addresses:

Office—East Productions, 1 Keepier Wharf, 12 Narrow St., London E14 8DH, England. Agent—(film and television) Michael Hallett, Emptage Hallett, 24 Poland St., London W1F 8QL, England; (literary) Joanna Marston, Rosica Colin Ltd., 1 Clareville Grove Mews, London, SW7 5AH England.

Career:

Actor, director, and writer. Worked with various repertory companies; London Theatre Group, London, founding member, director, and actor, 1968—; East Productions, affiliate; toured Israel, Europe, and the United States; appeared in commercials. Photographer, with work exhibited at Slaughterhouse Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA, 1992. Formerly worked as a cruise ship waiter and sales representative.

Awards, Honors:

Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, best directing, 1983; L.A. Weekly Theatre Award nomination, best performance, 1997, for Massage; Total Theatre Lifetime Achievement Award, Edinburgh Festival, 1997.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

Louis, A View from the Bridge, Empire Theatre, Finsbury Park, England, 1959.

Bellboy, Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, England, 1961.

Gregor Samsa, Metamorphosis, London production, 1968, then Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, c. 1982.

Titorelli, The Trial, Dutch production, 1971.

Knock at the Manor Gate, London, 1972.

Miss Julie versus Expressionism, London, 1973.

Title role, Agamemnon, c. 1973.

Usher, The Fall of the House of Usher, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1974.

East, Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, and London, 1975.

Decadence, Wyndham's Theatre, London, 1987.

Herod, Salome, National Theatre, London, 1989.

Titorelli, The Trial, National Theatre, 1990.

Title role, Coriolanus, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, England, 1995, then Mermaid Theatre, London, 1996.

Massage, Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles, then Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, England, later Edinburgh Festival, 1997.

Shakespeare's Villains (solo show), Haymarket Theatre, London, 1998.

The Tell-Tale Heart and Dog (double-bill), Sadler's Well Theatre, London, 2000.

Shakespeare's Villains: A Masterclass in Evil (solo show), West End production, then New York Shakespeare Festival, Anspacher Theatre, Public Theatre, New York City, 2001.

Requiem for Ground Zero (solo reading), London, 2001.

One Man (solo show), Culture Project, New York City, 2002.

Berkoff Is Back, New York City, 2002.

Also appeared in Arturo Ui; Hamlet; Macbeth; and Miss Julie and The Zoo Story (double-bill); also presented a one-man show at Donmar Warehouse Theatre, London, 1985-86.

Major Tours:

Shakespeare's Villains (solo show), Connecticut cities, 2000, and international cities.

Requiem for Ground Zero (solo reading), beginning 2001.

Also appeared in touring production of Shakespeare's Villains: A Masterclass in Evil (solo show), international cities.

Stage Director:

The Zoo Story, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, 1973.

Hamlet, Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1979.

Greek, Croydon Warehouse, Croydon, England, then Actors Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1983.

Kvetch, Garrick Theatre, London, 1986, then Westside Theatre Upstairs, New York City, 1987.

(And lighting director) Coriolanus, New York Shakespeare Festival, Anspacher Theatre, Public Theatre, New York City, 1988-89.

Salome, National Theatre, London, 1989.

Metamorphosis, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1989.

The Trial, National Theatre, 1990.

The Tragedy of Richard II, New York Shakespeare Festival, Anspacher Theatre, Public Theatre, 1994.

Coriolanus, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, England, 1995, then Mermaid Theatre, London, 1996.

Massage, Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles, then Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, England, later Edinburgh Festival, 1997.

East, Vaudeville Theatre, London, 1999.

Shakespeare's Villains: A Masterclass in Evil (solo show), West End production, then New York Shakespeare Festival, Anspacher Theatre, Public Theatre, 2001.

One Man (solo show), Culture Project, New York City, 2002.

Berkoff Is Back, New York City, 2002.

Stage Director: Major Tours:

Director of touring productions of Agamemnon; The Fall of the House of Usher; Hamlet; Macbeth; and Salome.

Film Appearances:

(Uncredited) Extra, The Sheriff of Fractured Jaw, 1958.

(Uncredited) Extra, I Was Monty's Double (also known as Hell, Heaven, or Hoboken), 1958.

(Uncredited) The Captain's Table (also known as Shenanigans), 1959.

(Uncredited) British corporal, The Devil's Disciple, 1959.

(Uncredited) Medical student, The Flesh and the Fiends (also known as The Fiendish Ghouls, Mania, and Psycho Killers), 1960.

(Uncredited) Student on field trip, Konga, 1961.

John, Prehistoric Women (also known as Slave Girls), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1967.

Bertoli, Vendetta for the Saint, 1968.

Detective Constable Tom, A Clockwork Orange (also known as Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange"), Warner Bros., 1971.

Pankratov, Nicholas and Alexandra, Columbia, 1971.

Lord Ludd, Barry Lyndon, Warner Bros., 1975.

(As Stephen Berkoff) Stephen, The Passenger (also known as Profession: Reporter, Professione: Reporter, and El reportero), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1975.

Greasy fellow, Joseph Andrews, 1977.

Sagan, Outland, Warner Bros., 1981.

Ronnie Harrison, McVicar, Crown International, 1982.

General Orlov, Octopussy, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1983.

Victor Maitland, Beverly Hills Cop, Paramount, 1984.

Lieutenant Colonel Podovsky, Rambo: First Blood, Part II, TriStar, 1985.

Sergeant Jones, Revolution, Warner Bros., 1985.

Hugo Motherskille, Underworld (also known as Transmutations), Empire Entertainment, 1985.

The fanatic, Absolute Beginners, Orion, 1986.

Mr. Sharon, Under the Cherry Moon, Warner Bros., 1986.

Hugo Motherskille, RawHeadRex, 1986.

Streets of Yesterday, Perfect Features, 1989.

George Cornell, The Krays (also known as The Kray Brothers and The Kray Twins), Rank, 1990.

Steve, Les, and Helen's couturier, Decadence, 1994.

Colonel Ilya Kazak, Fair Game, 1995.

Klaus Reicher, Flynn, Beyond Distribution Sydney, 1996.

Vittorio DaSilva, Love in Paris (also known as 9 ½ Weeks II and Another 9 ½ Weeks), Trimark Pictures, 1997.

Voices of Backhander and Reggie, Doppelganger (animated short film), 1997.

Sergeant Steinkampf, Legionnaire, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1998.

Mr. Kant, Rancid Aluminum (also known as Rancid Aluminium), 2000.

Magic Bob, Beginner's Luck, Guerilla Films, 2001.

Bokshu the Myth, Arjun Creations, 2002.

Jeff, 9 Dead Gay Guys, Park Entertainment, 2003.

Surtayne, Riders (also known as Steal, $teal, Team Riders, and Extreme inconduite), Alliance Atlantis Communications, 2003.

The uncle, Headrush, Paradisio Home Entertainment, 2003.

Charlie Richardson, Sr., Charlie, Twentieth Century-Fox Home Entertainment, 2004.

Charles Besse, Head in the Clouds (also known as Juegos de mujer), Sony Pictures Classics, 2004.

Karaboulat, Nyfes (also known as Brides), Bristol Media International, 2004.

Lawrence Masters, Naked in London, London Film Syndicate, 2005.

Inquisitor, The Headsman (also known as Shadow of the Sword and Henker), Allegro Film, 2005.

Commandant Hoppe, Forest of the Gods (also known as Dievu miskas), MDC Films, 2005.

Voice of Herod, It's a Boy! (short film), 2005.

Ernst Hagemann, The Flying Scotsman, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2006.

Kurchatov, The Half Life of Timofey Berezin, Picturehouse Entertainment, 2006.

"Red" Jack Weinbaum, The 10th Man (short film), Baby Cow Productions/Leifer Brothers, 2006.

Oleg Rozhin, Say It in Russian, Imperia Entertainment, 2007.

Victims, Blue Spice Film/Carousel/Visionview, 2007.

General West, The Dot Man, Carter Films/Dot Man Films, 2007.

Film Director:

Decadence, 1994.

East, 2000.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Defense counsel, An Enemy of the State, BBC, 1965.

Karl Von Eiderfeld, Sins, CBS, 1986.

Adolf Hitler, War and Remembrance, ABC, 1988.

Girolamo Savonarola, A Season of Giants (also known as Michelangelo: The Last Giant), TNT, 1991.

Addison Leach, Intruders, 1992.

Potiphar, In the Beginning, NBC, 2000.

Himself, Changing Stages, PBS, 2000.

King Rua, Attila (also known as Attila the Hun), USA Network, 2001.

Meisling, Hans Christian Andersen: My Life as a Fairy Tale, Hallmark Channel, 2001.

Stilgar, Children of Dune (also known as Frank Herbert's "Children of Dune," Dune—Bedrohung des imperiums, Dune—Der messias, Dune—Die kinder des wuestenplaneten, and Dune—Krieg um den wuestenplaneten), Sci-Fi Channel, 2003.

John Roebling, "Brooklyn Bridge," Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, BBC, 2003.

Freddie Eccles, Marple: By the Pricking of My Thumbs, PBS, 2006.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Councillor, "Sir Jocelyn, the Minister Would Like a Word …," The Wednesday Play, BBC, 1965.

Private First Class Gutkowski, "The Pistol," The Wednesday Play, BBC, 1965.

Koslov, "Beloved Enemy," Play for Today, BBC1, 1981.

Mr. Samsa, Metamorphosis, BBC2, 1989.

The man, The Tell-Tale Heart, Bravo, 1991.

Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, Cinemax, 2001.

Attila: The Making of an Epic Miniseries, USA Network, 2001.

Voice of Aleister Crowley, Masters of Darkness: Aleister Crowley—The Wickedest Man in the World, Channel 4, 2002.

Multiple roles, Shakespeare's Villains, 2002.

Narrator, Alive: Back to the Andes, Channel 5, 2006.

Himself, David Walliams: My Life with James Bond, ITV, 2006.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Lucianus, Hamlet (also known as Hamlet at Elsinore), BBC, 1964.

Atoman, Coming Out of the Ice, CBS, 1982.

Jack McFarland, Prisoner of Rio (also known as Wiezien Rio), 1988.

Mayor, Broken Morning, London Weekend Television, 2003.

Television Appearances; Series:

Harry, Silent Night, Channel 4, 1990.

George Rolf, NCS Manhunt, BBC, 2002.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Barman, "Love Bird," Corrigan Blake, BBC, 1963.

Sager, "The Gravediggers," The Avengers, ITV, 1965.

Police constable Archer, "The Informant, Part 1: Rough Justice," Softly Softly (also known as Softly, Softly: Task Force, BBC, 1967.

Dave Banks, "The Climber," Dixon of Dock Green, BBC, 1967.

Carlos, "The Iron Man," The Champions, NBC, 1968.

Captain Steve Minto, "The Cat with 10 Lives," UFO, syndicated, 1969.

Carl, "The Man Who Gambled with Life," The Saint, ITV, 1969.

Captain Steve Minto, "Destruction," UFO, syndicated, 1970.

Captain Steve Minto, "Mindbender," UFO, syndicated, 1971.

Krasnov, "A Man Called Quinn," The Professionals, ITV, 1983.

Club X, Channel 4, 1989.

The South Bank Show, 1989.

Dr. Paul Jorry, "Deadline," Space Precinct, syndicated, 1994.

Hagath, "Business as Usual," Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (also known as Deep Space Nine, DS9, and Star Trek: DS9), syndicated, 1997.

Himself, "Science," Brass Eye (also known as Trip TV), Channel 4, 1997.

Charles Sand/Carlo Giraldi, "In Between," La Femme Nikita (also known as Nikita), USA Network, 1998.

The mouth, "Mental Apparition Disorder," Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), BBC1, 2000.

Herman Grole, "Satan's Chimney," Jonathan Creek, PBS, 2001.

Guest panelist, The Wright Stuff, Channel 5, 2003.

Mr. Wiltshire, Hotel Babylon, BBC, 2006.

Ray Cook, "Bank Robbery," New Tricks, BBC, 2006.

Radio Appearances:

Title role, Macbeth, BBC4, 1996.

Master of ceremonies, Cabaret, BBC2, 1996.

Narrator, An Actor's Tale, BBC4, 1997.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

The fanatic in "Absolute Beginners" segment (in archive footage), Bowie: The Video Collection, 1993.

Inside "Octopussy," 2000.

The fanatic in "Absolute Beginners" segment (in archive footage), Best of Bowie, Ventura Distribution, 2002.

Voice of General Lente, Killzone (video game), Sony Computer Entertainment, 2004.

Audio Books:

Reader for Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka and The Trial, by Franz Kafka, both Penguin Audiobooks.

Albums:

Singles include "The Mind of the Machine" by N-Trance.

WRITINGS

Original Plays:

Mr. Prufrock's Songs, London, 1974, revised as Lunch, produced in London, 1981.

East (verse play), Edinburgh Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, and London, 1975, later Vaudeville Theatre, London, 1999.

Greek (verse play), London, 1980, later Croydon Warehouse Theatre, Croydon, England, then Actors Playhouse, New York City, 1983.

West (verse play), London, 1980.

Massage, Odyssey Theatre, Los Angeles, c. 1980, then Everyman Theatre, Liverpool, England, later Edinburgh Festival, 1997, published in 1987.

Lunch, 1983.

Harry's Christmas (solo show), London, 1985.

Kvetch, Garrick Theatre, London, 1986, then Westside Theatre Upstairs, New York City, 1987, published by Faber and Faber, 1986.

Acapulco, Los Angeles, 1986, then London, 1992.

Sink the Belgrano!, Mermaid Theatre, London, 1986, published by Faber and Faber, 1987.

Dog (solo show), 1993.

Actor (solo show), 1994.

Berkoff's Women, Du Maurier World Stage Festival, Factory Theatre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2000.

Brighton Beach Scumbags, Lillian Theatre, Hollywood, CA, 2000.

Messiah: Scenes from a Crucifixion, Edinburgh Festival and Old Vic Theatre, London, 2000.

The Secret Love Life of Ophelia, 2001.

Shakespeare's Villains: A Masterclass in Evil (solo show), West End production, then New York Shakespeare Festival, Anspacher Theatre, Public Theatre, New York City, 2001.

Ritual in Blood, 2001.

Requiem for Ground Zero (solo verse reading), London, 2001, then other cities.

One Man (solo show), Culture Project, New York City, 2002.

Berkoff Is Back, New York City, 2002.

The Bow of Ulysses, 2002.

Sit and Shiver, Los Angeles, 2004.

Also author of Dahling You Were Marvellous.

Stage Adaptations:

In the Penal Colony (based on story by Franz Kafka), produced by London Theatre Group, London, 1968.

Metamorphosis (based on story by Kafka), produced in London, 1968, then Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 1982, later Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1989.

The Trial (based on story by Kafka), produced in the Netherlands, 1971, then London, 1973, and National Theatre, London, 1990.

Knock at the Manor Gate (based on story by Kafka), London, 1972.

Agamemnon (based on play by Aeschylus), produced c. 1973, published by Amber Lane Press, 1990.

Miss Julie versus Expressionism (based on play by August Strindberg), London, 1973.

The Fall of the House of Usher (based on story by Edgar Allan Poe), Edinburgh, Scotland, 1974, later London, 1975, published by Amber Lane Press, 1990.

The Tell-Tale Heart (based on story by Poe), London, 1985.

Salome, National Theatre, 1989, published by Faber and Faber, 1989.

Other writings include Strum und Drang.

Collected Plays:

East and Other Plays (includes Agamemnon, East, and The Fall of the House of Usher), J. Calder, 1977, Riverrun Press, 1982.

The Trial and Metamorphosis, Amber Lane Press, 1981.

Decadence and Greek, J. Calder, 1982, Riverrun Press, 1983.

West and Other Plays, Faber and Faber, 1985.

West, Lunch, Harry's Christmas, Grove Press, 1985.

Acapulco and Kvetch, Faber and Faber, 1986, Grove Press, 1987.

The Trial, Metamorphosis, In the Penal Colony: Three Theatre Adaptations from Franz Kafka, Amber Lane Press, 1988.

Decadence and Other Plays: East/West/Greek, Faber and Faber, 1989.

Collected Plays of Steven Berkoff, Volume I, Faber and Faber, 1994.

Plays of Berkoff, Volume 2, Faber and Faber, 1994.

Plays One, 2000.

Plays Three, Faber, 2000.

Television Specials:

West (based on his stage play), Channel 4, 1984.

Metamorphosis (based on his stage adaptation), BBC2, 1989.

The Tell-Tale Heart, Bravo, 1991.

Shakespeare's Villains, 2002.

Screenplays:

Greek (based on his stage play), 1990.

Decadence (based on his stage play), 1994.

East (based on his stage play), 2000.

Other:

Gross Intrusion and Other Stories, Quartet Books, 1977, Riverrun Press, 1979.

Steven Berkoff's America, Hutchinson, 1988.

A Prisoner in Rio (film journal), Hutchinson, 1989.

I Am Hamlet (production journal), Faber and Faber, 1989, Grove Press, 1990.

The Theatre of Steven Berkoff (photographic journal), Methuen, 1992.

Overview (travel writing), 1994.

Meditations on Metamorphosis, 1995.

Free Association (autobiography), London, England, 1996.

Graft: Tales of an Actor (fiction), Oberon Books, 1998.

Shopping in the Santa Monica Mall: The Journals of a Strolling Player, 2000.

Tough Acts: Memories of Working With …, Robson Books, 2003.

Also wrote Coriolanus in Deutschland, Amber Lane Press.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Berkoff, Steven, Steven Berkoff's America, Hutchinson, 1988.

Berkoff, Steven, A Prisoner in Rio (film journal), Hutchinson, 1989.

Berkoff, Steven, I Am Hamlet (production journal), Faber and Faber, 1989, Grove Press, 1990.

Berkoff, Steven, The Theatre of Steven Berkoff (photographic journal), Methuen, 1992.

Berkoff, Steven, Free Association (autobiography), London, England, 1996.

Berkoff, Steven, Shopping in the Santa Monica Mall: The Journals of a Strolling Player, 2000.

Berkoff, Steven, Tough Acts: Memories of Working With …, Robson Books, 2003.

Contemporary Dramatists, 6th edition, St. James Press, 1999.

Periodicals:

Economist, December 16, 1989, p. 89.

Electronic:

Steven Berkoff Official Site,http://www.stevenberkoff.com, June 12, 2007.