Director Peter Brook, Photo: Gilles Abegg
August 19, 2008
British theatre director Peter Brook has been awarded the first International Ibsen Prize. The jury, headed by Norwegian actress and director Liv Ullmann, cited Brook for his, “Successful demonstration that all significant theatre has a unique ability to bring people together, that culture is something everyone can appreciate, and that no group or nation can claim ownership of a work of literature, either in the form of words or as performed on stage.”
The Norwegian government established the International Ibsen Award in 2007. The award includes a cash prize of 2.5 million kroner ($460,000).
Peter Brook was born in London in 1925, to Russian-Jewish parents who immigrated to England in 1914. As a young boy he presented a full-length puppet production of Hamlet for his family. He directed his one and only Ibsen play, The Lady from the Sea, at the age of 19. Two years later he directed his first play, Love’s Labour’s Lost, at the Royal Shakespeare Company
According the to Ibsen Prize jury, “Brook’s ideal is and always has been Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s plays have given him the freedom to move between the outer and the inner world, between fantasy and reality. They transcend the local arena and allow him to pursue his search for universal theatre - a theatre of no particular country but of all countries, cultures, languages and traditions.”
Brook’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1970 is considered one of the most important Shakespeare productions of the 20th century. The play featured trapezes, juggling, and circus effects to create a sense of magic and a celebration of the imagination. The production continues to serve as a benchmark for theatre critics and directors alike.
The International Ibsen Prize will be presented August 31 in the port city of Skien where Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen was born.
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