Steven Berkoff was born in London in 1937. He studied Drama in London and Paris. He performed with repertory companies before forming the London Theatre Group (L.T.G.) in 1968. Their first professional production was听In the Penal Colony, an adaptation of a short story by Kafka. Berkoff's first original stage play听East, was presented at the Edinburgh Festival in 1975.
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Other original plays include听West, Decadence, Greek, Kvetch, Acapulco, Harry's Christmas, Lunch, Sink the Belgrano, Massage, Sturm und Drang, Brighton Beach Scumbags, The Secret Love Life of Ophelia, Bow of Ulysses, Ritual in Blood and Messiah.
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Among the many adaptations Steven Berkoff has created for the stage are听Kafka's听Metamorphosis and The Trial, Agamemnon听(after Aeschylus)听and Poe's听The Fall of the House of Usher. His plays and adaptations have been performed in many countries and many languages. 听He has also directed and toured productions of听Hamlet, Macbeth听and Oscar Wilde's听Salome.
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Steven Berkoff has acted in films as diverse as听A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Passenger, Octopussy, Beverly Hills Cop, Rambo, Under the Cherry Moon, Absolute Beginners听and听The Krays. He directed and co-starred with Joan Collins in the film version of听Decadence.
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He has published collections of short stories, production journals, travel writings, poetry and his autobiography Free Association.