Steven Berkoff: ‘British theatre is narcissistic’

British theatre is “narcissistic” and mostly concerned with politics and class, Steven Berkoff has claimed.

The writer, director and actor said his work had always been influenced by the bizarre and the fantastical, but argued that British theatremaking shies away from these themes.

He added: “British culture loves the image of itself in the mirror, it doesn’t want to look deep inside, behind the eyes, inside the brain, inside where those shivers and nightmares lie.

“We like what we see in front of ourselves so our theatre is good, but it is what I would call narcissistic. It [is] what we see in our politics, on the street, the class wars – therefore it is interesting to you, but it will never be for me.”

Berkoff’s plays include adaptations of Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and The Trial, as well as works such as East, Greek, Decadence and Sink the Belgrano!.

He was speaking at a platform event at the National Theatre, in which he reflected on his career in an interview with Geoff Colman, head of acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Asked if he felt he had been exiled by British theatre, Berkoff said his non-traditional approach had been an obstacle to success.

“Possibly I was going in a different direction and therefore I might be hurting the traditional route. They say, ‘Oh no, he’s gong to excite too many people.'”

“People are more comfortable with what is familiar,” he added. “You still have the massive sets, and there will always be a sofa, a table and drinks.

“In 90% of British theatre, they’re all sitting on their arses doing nothing. Why? Because they don’t know how to move. They’re dull.”