Berkoff’s second night triumph in Bournemouth

Second night nerves shouldn’t affect celebrated actor, playwright and director Stephen Berkoff when he talks to Bournemouth students and theatre fans, on 19 January.

This will be ‘take two’ at Avonbourne Business & Enterprise College for Mr Berkoff after his special evening at the school planned for last November was cancelled last minute due to travel problems.

A few tickets are still available for the rescheduled event this month where Mr Berkoff will share insights from his long and distinguished career - from battling James Bond to redefining modern theatre.

Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villainous roles, such as Lt. Col Podovsky in Rambo: First Blood Part II, Victor Maitland in Beverly Hills Cop, and Adolf Hitler in epic mini-series War and Remembrance.

His cutting-edge plays and adaptations have been performed in many countries and languages, to global critical acclaim. Among the many adaptations he’s created for the stage, directed and toured, are Kafka's Metamorphosis and The Trial.

He has directed and toured productions of Shakespeare's Coriolanus also playing the title role, Richard II, Hamlet and Macbeth, as well as Oscar Wilde's Salome.
He’s also a successful author.

The 74-year-old says he sees the future in youth and says he’s looking forward to visiting Avonbourne School because he finds young people so stimulating.

“They are very imaginative, very responsive and haven’t been soured by their experiences like so many older people have,” he said.

“The young have their life and imagination ahead of them.”

‘An Audience with Steven Berkoff’ starts at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £20 and are available by calling Paul Nelson on 07528 536899, 01202 398451, or emailing p.nelson@avonbourne.org

For more details visit www.arena-theatre.co.uk