I approached this book with certain misgivings, partly because to read a book about "The Theatre" in general, a subject so huge and ephemeral, promised to be as rewarding as "Sherlock on Death" or De Mille's promised "simple and undramatic film about the end of the world"; and partly because Peter Brook himself produces in me the mixed emotions of adulation and sheer fright. It would be interesting to read the book without knowing Brook, for knowing him, he breathed over my shoulder the whole way through and it was impossible to separate the book from the man - not, I hasten to say, that this was a drawback - but from a purely academic point of view it would have been interesting to read the book without the Presence.Once embarked, however, the first fear was removed. The book is, first, foremost and thankfully, extremely readable. It speaks a language equally intelligible to the theatrical initiate and that old friend, "the Man in the Street" (and there's a subject for Brook). It is precise, clear, witty and all terms are well defined before use.
"The Empty Space" of the title is, of course, the stage, and in this book, Brook examines and analyses what we do, and what we could do, to fill it. Mercilessly, every type of theatre, the deadly, the holy, the rough (Brook's headings), is scrutinised and found wanting. He is scrupulously fair. The obvious butt for criticism in this field, the much lambasted commercial theatre, has its good points remarked as well as its bad, and the experimental and avant garde - as at present practised - are not spared a damning swipe or two.
After these examinations he moves on to the "immediate theatre," in which he formulates some ideals for filling his empty space, but carefully not lapsing into dogma at any moment: "As I continue to work, each experience will make these conclusions inconclusive again. It is impossible to assess the function of a book - but I hope this one my be of use somewhere . . . But if anyone were to try and use it as a handbook, then I can definitely warn him - there are no formulas" - and again: "As you read this book, it is already moving out of date. It is for me an exercise, now frozen on the page." What will, however, never be out of date is the lesson that breathes through every page, of the endless care, pain, time, devotion and sheer hard work that all concerned in the theatre should and must bring to it if it is to mean anything at all.
The overall impression - apart from fascination and a sense of privilege at getting a glimpse of this extraordinary man's mind - is of a rare objectivity. Not merely the theatre, but its inhabitants and those of its purlieus, actors, directors, designers and - God save the mark - critics, are skilfully and compassionately dissected, and the results arranged with clarity for us to form our own conclusions.
A handbook - in deference to the author's wish - no; but required reading for anyone who professes to care about the theatre.
Incidentally, I picked up the book at eleven o'clock in the evening, and laid it down, finished, at three thirty in the morning, and I could not have put it down before.