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Peter Brook, who died at the weekend aged 97, revolutionised British theatre at least a half-dozen times via an endless slew of visionary projects, from his epic nine-hour stage adaptation of the Sanskrit epic ‘Mahābhārata’ to his revolutionary 1970 production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ that essentially did away with the set.
His last years saw him as more of an elder statesman-type figure, producing pared-down, spiritually-leaning works from his base in Paris, many of which transferred to edgy Young Vic in London: he was prolific pretty much until the end, directing several plays during his nineties. However, Brook was a West End powerhouse in his younger years, directing numerous hit shows for the London stage, including operas for the Royal Opera House and myriad productions for the RSC.
It’s no surprise then that he’s following in the all-too-recent footsteps of Stephen Sondheim and Antony Sher in being given the West End’s biggest honour: the lights of all its theatres will be dimmed in his memory at 7pm tonight. Farewell to another theatrical giant.
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