Director Peter Brook, one of the most influential figures of the 20th century, died on Saturday at the age of 97, Agence France-Presse reported today, citing a source close to Brook.
A theater master, born in the United Kingdom but who spent most of his career in France, his Parisian theater ‘Les Bouffs du Nord’ reinvented stagecraft in favor of refined forms over traditional spectacles.
At the end of the 60s, after dozens of hits, including several plays by Shakespeare, and directing the best – from Laurence Olivier to Orson Welles – he decided to settle in France, where he began an experimental period. As indicated by the “empty space” theory.
It was in that country that he staged monumental plays with exotic and multicultural casts.
The most popular drama is the nine-hour Hindu mythological epic “Mahabharat”, which was adapted for film in 1989.
In the 90s, he had a hit in the United Kingdom with Samuel Beckett’s “Beautiful Days”. Critics hailed him as “the best director not in London”.
After an adventure spanning more than 35 years at the ‘Bouffes du Nord’, Peter Brook left the direction of the theater in 2010 at the age of 85, continuing to direct productions until recently.
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