Peter Brook: The Tightrope

This documentary by Simon Brook—son of the titular subject, legendary stage director Peter Brook—offers an unusual master class in the art of acting. Working in a spacious room covered in Persian rugs that offers an almost mystical ambience, the elder Brook instructs a handful of adult students in the actor's art of immersion. Brook demands that the group take scenes seriously, embracing truths and reacting accordingly, beginning with a deceptively simple exercise in which students must walk across an invisible tightrope and believe that they are actually doing so. Brook also leads the group through a fascinating "shared mind" exercise, dismantling individual agendas while training the ensemble to think as one. Enlisting the help of musicians, the soft-spoken Brook continues to add layer upon layer of practical and spiritual challenges, during which viewers are able to see the underlying intentions. Perhaps the best bit of wisdom here is Brook's definition of the difference between actors and non-actors: the actor, says Brook, has a direct connection between imagination and the body. Given what we see here, that seems to be absolutely true. Extras include bonus interviews and a photo gallery. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)