The Empty Space

'I can take any empty space and call it a bare stage.'

Peter Brook's seminal book, an acknowledged classic of theatre writing, sets out many of the ideas about theatre which informed his lifelong work as a theatre director, from his iconic 'white box' production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and his ground-breaking adaptation of The Mahabharata, to his work at the International Centre for Theatre Research.

Available as an ebook for the first time since its original publication in 1968, The Empty Space remains a cornerstone of thinking about theatre. Written with a refreshing clarity, and full of personal insights, it sets out Brook's influential concept of the four different types of theatre – The Deadly Theatre, The Holy Theatre, The Rough Theatre and The Immediate Theatre – and investigates the evolution of theatrical ideas, from Stanislavsky and Method acting to Brecht and Happenings, as well as examining different ways of playing Shakespeare.

Firmly rooted in Brook's own experience as a ceaselessly questing theatre-maker, The Empty Space continues to inspire and instruct new generations of theatre-makers everywhere.