Overview

From studying Berkoff, I have been able to learn things about the devising process which will be useful in future units. Experimentation and play seems like a key part of the berkoff style, as it pushes emotion and physicality beyond the bounds of normality and into the surreal and sometimes bizarre. Only by experimenting with vocal tone and gesture, and stepping out of your comfort can you emulate this style in a way that does it justice. What's more, giving time to experimentation before you begin blocking the piece, does a lot for supporting the blocking process and it is clear in our performance that experimentation was a great influence.
 
Another thing which has been important during the process is drawing on our understanding of Frantic Assembly style physical theatre, for which the style of play is very important. In some situations the practice of creating movement before meaning made creating the piece much easier. However this was only used for small sections or places where it was appropriate. It was important not to let this style take over, because the physicality and principals of Frantic is fundamentally different to that of Berkoff. With creation in Frantic, choices in movement have no motivation and every choice creates something that is open to interpretation, whereas with Berkoff the movements are created to have meaning and embody staccato emotions of the play. There is also the possibility of falling into the endless variations that exist in Frantic Assembly. For our final piece we devised a section for Ballet of the Stools which was similar to chair duets we had done in the past. At first we chose a piece of music that was very emotive and fluid, and while this had an interesting affect on our actions, it diverted too much from the style of Berkoff. With this practice, the style is clearly defined by its staccato movements, its relentless quality and fast pace 
 that was presented in the second piece of music we chose.
 
I think that, despite struggling with the vocal and physical style at the start of the unit, I have come to appreciate it for its controlled unique approach to theatre. Berkoff is not like traditional drama. Instead of finding this battle between your character and your own personality through emotions and actions, it is a chance to be completely removed from yourself and do things that would never be possible in real life. The Berkoff style creates its own world, one that lives off the sinister and the hysterical and the wondrously absurd to which we are all morbidly drawn.