Actor Adrift an - (Performance Books) by Yoshi Oida & Lorna Marshall (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

An Actor Adrift is the remarkable account of Japanese actor director Yoshi Oida, who in 1968 left Japan and joined Peter Brook's international theatre company in Paris. Since then he has become a leading member and trainer in the company.

In this book, part personal story and part a workbook for actors and directors wishing to understand and employ Peter Brook's techniques, Oida describes the formation and early training of Brook's company and provides an account of the first decade of work.

It provides a fascinating account of the company's first public performance - The Conference of the Birds in Iran, of the extraordinary explorative journey that followed through Africa, of work in America and of the return to work in France. While he relates productions of The Ik, The Conference of the Birds, The Mahabharata, Orghast and Timon of Athens, he interweaves his vivid personal experience as an actor in whom Estern and Western culture and practices come together.

From the Back Cover

Yoshi Oida, a Japanese speaking neither English nor French, became the first member of Peter Brook's international theatre company in Paris, in 1968. Trained in the traditional Japanese arts of Noh theatre, Kabuki dance and Bunraku storytelling, he had taken the bold step of leaving his own country in search of a fresh vision of theatre. Since then, he has become a leading member of the company. He participated in the extraordinary explorative journey through Africa, an expedition without precedent in the history of theatre, and has played starring roles in The Ik, The Conference of the Birds, The Mahabharata and The Tempest. But An Actor Adrift is not only a fascinating personal story of an actor at work. For many years, Yoshi Oida has been involved in the training of Brook's company. His account includes an explanation of the genesis of the techniques and exercises which have formed the basis of their internationally-celebrated work.

About the Author

Lorna Marshall has taught physical acting to performers in almost every area, from ballet dancers to classical actors and opera singers, and from performance artists to circus acts. She has worked with companies such as The Royal Shakespeare Company, Shared Experience, The Royal National Theatre, and The Consort of Musicke. She runs international workshops and is currently Honorary Research Fellow at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and Adviser on Actor Training at the New National Theatre, Tokyo.