The Empty Space

A timeless classic on the art of theatre from the most influential stage director of the twentieth century.

In this seminal and iconoclastic book, groundbreaking director and cofounder of the Royal Shakespeare Company Peter Brook draws on a life in love with the stage to explore the issues facing a theatrical performance. He describes important developments in theatre from the last century, as well as smaller scale events, from productions by Stanislavsky to the rise of Method Acting, from Brecht’s revolutionary alienation technique to the free form Happenings of the 1960s, and from the different styles of such great Shakespearean actors as John Gielgud and Paul Scofield to a joyous impromptu performance in the burnt-out shell of the Hamburg Opera just after the war. Along the way, Brook provides theatre-makers with an indispensable guide to creating exhilarating and fresh performances.

Passionate, unconventional, and fascinating, The Empty Space shows how theatre defies rules, builds and shatters illusions, and creates lasting memories for its audiences.

Peter Brook was one of the world’s best-known theatre directors. His remarkable achievements include his productions of Titus Andronicus with Laurence Olivier, King Lear with Paul Scofield, and Marat/Sade and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, both for the Royal Shakespeare Company. After moving to Paris and establishing the International Centre for Theatre Research in 1970 and the International Centre for Theatre Creation when he opened the Bouffes du Nord in 1974, he produced a series of events which pushed at the boundaries of theatre, including Conference of the Birds, The Ik, The Mahabharata, and The Tragedy of Carmen.His films included Lord of the Flies, Marat/Sade, King Lear, The Mahabharata, Tell Me Lies, and Meetings with Remarkable Men. Brook was the author of The Empty Space, The Quality of Mercy, and Tip of the Tongue, which have been published in many languages throughout the world.