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{{Short description|Franco-British stage director and producer}}
{{Like resume|date=October 2008}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}


'''Irina Brook''' is a [[UK|British]] stage actress, director and producer. The daughter of film and theatre director [[Peter Brook]] and actress Natasha Parry, she was named a [[Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres]] in 2002 by the French Ministry of Culture. Born in Paris, Brook grew up between England and France.
'''Irina Brook''' (born 5 April 1962) is a Franco-British stage director, producer, and actress. She was named [[Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres]] in 2002 by the French Ministry of Culture. In May 2017 Brook was upgraded to Officier de l'ordre des Arts et Lettres and awarded the [[Légion d'honneur]].


==Acting==
== Personal life ==
Brook was born in Paris to film and theatre director [[Peter Brook]] and actress [[Natasha Parry]] and grew up between England and France. Her family is of [[Lithuanian Jews|Lithuanian Jewish]] descent.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/24/arts/24iht-bookwed.html?_r=0 | work=The New York Times | first=Arnold | last=Aronson | title=Peter Brook: A Biography | date=25 May 2005}}</ref><ref name=Kustow2013>{{cite book|first=Michael|last=Kustow|title=Peter Brook: A Biography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JV15AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA5|year=2013|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-1-4088-5228-6|pages=5–7}}</ref> She was educated at [[Bedales School]] and went to New York City to study drama with [[Stella Adler]].
⚫
At eighteen, Brook went to [[New York City|New York]] to study drama with [[Stella Adler]], and played in several [[off-Broadway]] shows, including the lead in ''Irish Coffee''.<ref name="Shepard1981">{{cite web|url=http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?_r=2&res=9905E4D91339F935A15750C0A967948260|title='Irish Coffee,' a step beyond simple alienation|last=Shepard|first=Richard F.|date=26 March 1981|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=30 November 2010}}</ref> A couple of years later, she returned to Paris to act in her father's production of ''[[The Cherry Orchard]]'' followed by [[Molière]]'s ''[[Dom Juan]]'' at the [[Bouffes du Nord]]. She then moved to London, where she appeared in films, TV and numerous theatre productions. Her film roles include the title roles in ''The Girl in the Picture'', ''Heroine'', and ''Meshenka''.<ref name="Young1986">{{cite news|url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4_89AAAAIBAJ&sjid=f0kMAAAAIBAJ&pg=4404,4392344&dq=irina-brook&hl=en|title=A hat-trick for elusive Irina|last=Young|first=Andrew|date=23 January 1986|work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|page=9|accessdate=30 November 2010}}</ref>


==Director producer==
== Career ==
⚫
She played in several [[off-Broadway]] shows, including the lead in ''Irish Coffee''.<ref name="Shepard1981">{{cite web|url=http://theater.nytimes.com/mem/theater/treview.html?_r=2&res=9905E4D91339F935A15750C0A967948260|title='Irish Coffee,' a step beyond simple alienation|last=Shepard|first=Richard F.|date=26 March 1981|work=[[The New York Times]]|accessdate=30 November 2010}}</ref> She returned to Paris to act in her father's production of ''[[The Cherry Orchard]]'' followed by [[Molière]]'s ''[[Dom Juan]]'' at the [[Bouffes du Nord]]. She then moved to London, where she appeared in films, TV (including an episode of [[Bergerac (TV series)|Bergerac]] 'My Friend Charlie' in 1990) and theatre productions. Her film roles include ''[[The Girl in the Picture (1985 film)|The Girl in the Picture]]'' (1985), ''[[Underworld (1985 film)|Underworld]]'' (1985), ''[[Captive (1986 film)|Captive]]'' (1986), ''[[Maschenka (1987 film)|Maschenka]]'' (1987) and ''[[The Fool (1990 film)|The Fool]]'' (1990). She also appeared as Michelle Réage in a 1989 episode<ref>{{Citation|title=Ghost in the Machine|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0611641/|access-date=2019-07-27}}</ref> of the British TV series ''[[Inspector Morse (TV series)|Inspector Morse]].''
⚫
In the mid 1990s, Brook directed and produced her first show, ''Beast on the Moon'' by Richard Kalinoski, at the [[Battersea Arts Centre]], London. She also directed ''Madame Klein'' by Nicholas Wright (Watford) and Shakespeare's ''[[All's Well That Ends Well]]'' (Oxford).<ref name="Bruce">{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/only-beginning-and-all-s-well-1.376215|title=Only beginning and all's well|last=Bruce|first=Keith|date=7 October 1997|work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|accessdate=30 November 2010}}</ref> In 1998, she directed the French version of ''Beast on the Moon'' at the Théâtre de Vidy-Lausanne and Bobigny, Paris. After several national and international tours, the show returned for a six month sell-out at the Theâtre de l'Oeuvre, Paris, where it won five [[Molière Award|Molière theatre awards]], including best director and best show. Brook also directed a television version of the play, for which she was awarded the prix Mitrani at the International Festival of Audiovisual Programs (FIPA), a film festival in [[Biarritz]].


⚫
In 1996, Brook directed and produced her first show, ''Beast on the Moon'' by Richard Kalinoski, at the [[Battersea Arts Centre]], London. She also directed ''Madame Klein'' by Nicholas Wright (Watford) and Shakespeare's ''[[All's Well That Ends Well]]'' (Oxford).<ref name="Bruce">{{cite web|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/only-beginning-and-all-s-well-1.376215|title=Only beginning and all's well|last=Bruce|first=Keith|date=7 October 1997|work=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|accessdate=30 November 2010}}</ref> In 1998, she directed the French version of ''Beast on the Moon'' at the Théâtre de Vidy-Lausanne and Bobigny, Paris. After several national and international tours, the show returned for a six-month sell-out at the Theâtre de l'Oeuvre, Paris, where it won five [[Molière Award|Molière theatre awards]], including best director and best show. Brook also directed a television version of the play, for which she was awarded the prix Mitrani at the International Festival of Audiovisual Programs (FIPA), a film festival in [[Biarritz]].
She was invited by [[Ariane Mnouchkine]] to direct her [[Théâtre du Soleil]] company, with whom she put on a French version of ''All's Well that Ends Well'' for the [[Festival d'Avignon|Avignon Theatre Festival]]. Meanwhile she premiered a new American play, ''Resonance'' (''Morphic Resonance''), by Katherine Burger, at the Theâtre de l'Atelier, for which she also received a Molière award and the [[SACD (Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques)|Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques]] award for new talent. She created a version of [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey]]'' for young audiences at the Sartrouville Theater Festival, followed by ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' (retitled ''Juliette et Romeo'') for Lausanne and the [[Théâtre national de Chaillot]], Paris. For the same co-producers, she directed ''[[Dancing at Lughnasa]]'', by [[Brian Friel]], which was then invited to perform in Tokyo.


Brooks premiered a new American play, ''Resonance'' (''Morphic Resonance''), by Katherine Burger, at the Theâtre de l'Atelier, for which she also received a Molière award and the [[SACD (Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques)|Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques]] award for new talent.
She returned to the Atelier Theatre with [[Tennessee Williams]]' ''[[The Glass Menagerie]]'', which was invited to play in Moscow. She has also directed [[Bertolt Brecht]]'s ''[[The Good Person of Szechwan]]'', Marivaux's ''L'ile des esclaves'', and adapted [[Thornton Wilder]]'s [[novella]], ''[[The Bridge of San Luis Rey]]'', for Vidy-Lausanne and the Theâtre de Sceaux, Paris.


⚫
Brook produced a version of ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' for six men, which was first produced by the Festival Dedans-Dehors, [[Brétigny-sur-Orge]], and performed outdoors in France and Switzerland.<ref name="Taylor2008">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/peter-brook-isnt-an-easy-act-to-follow-but-his-daughter-irina-is-doing-an-impressive-job-767862.html|title=Peter Brook isn't an easy act to follow, but his daughter Irina is doing an impressive job|last=Taylor|first=Paul|date=3 January 2008|work=[[The Independent]]|accessdate=30 November 2010}}</ref> The show toured Europe and Canada afterwards.
In February 2006, she was invited to recreate her production of ''The Glass Menagerie'' with Japanese actors at the [[New National Theatre Tokyo]].


⚫
She was Director-in-Residence at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts<ref name="Kennedy">{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2008/10/04/fun_ghost_story_is_wilde_at_heart/|title=Fun ghost story is Wilde at heart|last=Kennedy|first=Louise|date=4 October 2008|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|accessdate=30 November 2010}}</ref> and currently working on a new production of the British classic ''Toad of Toad Hall''. In 2012, she produced ''[[The Tempest]]'' by [[William Shakespeare]] and ''[[Peer Gynt]]'' by [[Henrik Ibsen]] at the [[Salzburg Festival]].
⚫
Brook produced a version of ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' for six men, which was first produced by the Festival Dedans-Dehors, [[Bretigny]]{{dn|date=June 2012}}, and performed outdoors in France and Switzerland.<ref name="Taylor2008">{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/peter-brook-isnt-an-easy-act-to-follow-but-his-daughter-irina-is-doing-an-impressive-job-767862.html|title=Peter Brook isn't an easy act to follow, but his daughter Irina is doing an impressive job|last=Taylor|first=Paul|date=3 January 2008|work=[[The Independent]]|accessdate=30 November 2010}}</ref> She then redirected it to play indoors, in theatres, and after a sold out month at the Bouffes du Nord, Paris, the show was so successful that it has continued touring since then throughout France and in festivals around Europe, and has been invited to the Rideau du Spectacle in Quebec city and will tour Canada for a month in 2010.


Renaming her company ''Irina’s Dreamtheâtrè'', she was invited to the Spoleto Festival in 2013 with a new creation: ''La Trilogie des Îles'' (The Islands Trilogy), consisting of ''Odyssey'', ''The Tempest'' and ''Island of Slaves'' by [[Pierre de Marivaux]]. She and her company were awarded the Air France prize for innovative staging.<ref>{{cite news|work=Petites Affiches des Alpes-Maritimes|title=Irina Brook, Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur|url=https://www.petitesaffiches.fr/nominations,079/irina-brook-chevalier-de-la-legion,9604.html?lang=fr}}</ref>
This production led to the formation of Compagnie Irina Brook, whose premier production was new version of ''Don Quixote'', ''Somewhere...la Mancha'', a contemporary take on the adventures of the famous couple as they travel across the USA to a soundtrack of traditional bluegrass gospel. ''Somewhere...'' premiered in July 2008 at the Avignon festival and will have its Paris premiere this April.


Brook became the artistic director of the Théatre National de Nice (TNN) in January 2014.<ref>{{cite web|work=Theatre National de Nice|title=Le Theatre: Irina Brook|url=https://www.tnn.fr/fr/le-theatre/irina-brook}}</ref> There she directed a production of the ''Odyssey'' in June 2014 across gardens and museums in Nice, then in the TNN theatre, a production of ''Peer Gynt'' in September 2014 (shown at the Barbican Centre, London, that October).
⚫
She is now Director-in-Residence at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts<ref name="Kennedy">{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2008/10/04/fun_ghost_story_is_wilde_at_heart/|title=Fun ghost story is Wilde at heart|last=Kennedy|first=Louise|date=4 October 2008|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|accessdate=30 November 2010}}</ref> and currently working on a new production of the British classic ''Toad of Toad Hall''. In 2012 she produced at the [[Salzburg Festival]] [[La Tempête]] by [[William Shakespeare]] and [[Peer Gynt]] by [[Ibsen]].


She ended her tenure at TNN with a production of ''Romeo and Juliet'' starring her daughter [[Maïa Jemmett]].<ref>{{cite news|work=L'Oeil d'Olivier|title=La derrière romance d'Irina Brook au TNN|date=8 April 2019|url=http://www.loeildolivier.fr/la-derniere-romance-dirina-brooks-au-tnn}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=Riviera Buzz|title=TNN: Curtain Call for Outgoing Director Irina Brook|date=8 May 2019|last1=Igney|first1=Natja|url=http://riviera-buzz.com/features/arts-culture/item/tnn-curtain-call-irina-brook.html}}</ref>
==Opera==

Brook has also ventured into the world of [[opera]], starting with ''[[The Magic Flute]]'' for the Dutch Reisopera, co-directed by her partner Dan Jemmet. She was then invited to direct ''[[Eugene Onegin (opera)|Eugene Onegin]]'', for the Aix-en-Provence Festival. This was followed by ''Cenerentola'', for the Theatre des Champs-Élysées, Paris, and the Teatro Communale, [[Bologna]]. She has also directed ''[[La traviata]]'', in Bologna, which was co-produced by the Opéra de Lille, Last and [[Handel]]'s ''[[Giulio Cesare]]'' at the Theatre des Champs-Élysées.<ref name="von Uthmann">{{cite web|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aL6IXt9X4hb8&refer=muse|title=Caesar Sports a Beard, High-Pitched Voice in Paris Opera|last=von Uthmann|first=Jorg|date=20 October 2006|work=[[Bloomberg L.P.]]|accessdate=30 November 2010}}</ref>
Brook directed the opera ''[[The Magic Flute]]'' for the Dutch Reisopera, co-directed by her partner, Dan Jemmett.<ref name="von Uthmann">{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aL6IXt9X4hb8&refer=muse|title=Caesar Sports a Beard, High-Pitched Voice in Paris Opera|last=von Uthmann|first=Jorg|date=20 October 2006|work=[[Bloomberg L.P.]]|accessdate=30 November 2010}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0111628}}

{{authority control}}


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[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
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[[Category:French actresses‎]]
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[[Category:French theatre directors]]
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[[Category:British actresses]]
[[Category:British theatre directors]]
[[Category:British theatre directors]]
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[[Category:Actresses from Paris]]

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[[Category:French stage actresses]]
[[fr:Irina Brook]]
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[[Category:French film actresses]]
[[Category:French television actresses]]
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[[Category:French theatre directors]]
[[Category:English stage actresses]]
[[Category:English film actresses]]
[[Category:English television actresses]]
[[Category:French women theatre directors]]
[[Category:British women theatre directors]]
[[Category:Women arts administrators]]
[[Category:Women theatre managers and producers]]
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:French people of Jewish descent]]
[[Category:British people of Latvian-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Brook family]]
[[Category:People educated at Bedales School]]

Latest revision as of 19:30, 7 February 2024

Irina Brook (born 5 April 1962) is a Franco-British stage director, producer, and actress. She was named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2002 by the French Ministry of Culture. In May 2017 Brook was upgraded to Officier de l'ordre des Arts et Lettres and awarded the Légion d'honneur.

Personal life[edit]

Brook was born in Paris to film and theatre director Peter Brook and actress Natasha Parry and grew up between England and France. Her family is of Lithuanian Jewish descent.[1][2] She was educated at Bedales School and went to New York City to study drama with Stella Adler.

Career[edit]

She played in several off-Broadway shows, including the lead in Irish Coffee.[3] She returned to Paris to act in her father's production of The Cherry Orchard followed by Molière's Dom Juan at the Bouffes du Nord. She then moved to London, where she appeared in films, TV (including an episode of Bergerac 'My Friend Charlie' in 1990) and theatre productions. Her film roles include The Girl in the Picture (1985), Underworld (1985), Captive (1986), Maschenka (1987) and The Fool (1990). She also appeared as Michelle Réage in a 1989 episode[4] of the British TV series Inspector Morse.

In 1996, Brook directed and produced her first show, Beast on the Moon by Richard Kalinoski, at the Battersea Arts Centre, London. She also directed Madame Klein by Nicholas Wright (Watford) and Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well (Oxford).[5] In 1998, she directed the French version of Beast on the Moon at the Théâtre de Vidy-Lausanne and Bobigny, Paris. After several national and international tours, the show returned for a six-month sell-out at the Theâtre de l'Oeuvre, Paris, where it won five Molière theatre awards, including best director and best show. Brook also directed a television version of the play, for which she was awarded the prix Mitrani at the International Festival of Audiovisual Programs (FIPA), a film festival in Biarritz.

Brooks premiered a new American play, Resonance (Morphic Resonance), by Katherine Burger, at the Theâtre de l'Atelier, for which she also received a Molière award and the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques award for new talent.

Brook produced a version of A Midsummer Night's Dream for six men, which was first produced by the Festival Dedans-Dehors, Brétigny-sur-Orge, and performed outdoors in France and Switzerland.[6] The show toured Europe and Canada afterwards.

She was Director-in-Residence at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts[7] and currently working on a new production of the British classic Toad of Toad Hall. In 2012, she produced The Tempest by William Shakespeare and Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen at the Salzburg Festival.

Renaming her company Irina’s Dreamtheâtrè, she was invited to the Spoleto Festival in 2013 with a new creation: La Trilogie des Îles (The Islands Trilogy), consisting of Odyssey, The Tempest and Island of Slaves by Pierre de Marivaux. She and her company were awarded the Air France prize for innovative staging.[8]

Brook became the artistic director of the Théatre National de Nice (TNN) in January 2014.[9] There she directed a production of the Odyssey in June 2014 across gardens and museums in Nice, then in the TNN theatre, a production of Peer Gynt in September 2014 (shown at the Barbican Centre, London, that October).

She ended her tenure at TNN with a production of Romeo and Juliet starring her daughter Maïa Jemmett.[10][11]

Brook directed the opera The Magic Flute for the Dutch Reisopera, co-directed by her partner, Dan Jemmett.[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Aronson, Arnold (25 May 2005). "Peter Brook: A Biography". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Kustow, Michael (2013). Peter Brook: A Biography. A&C Black. pp. 5–7. ISBN 978-1-4088-5228-6.
  3. ^ Shepard, Richard F. (26 March 1981). "'Irish Coffee,' a step beyond simple alienation". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  4. ^ Ghost in the Machine, retrieved 27 July 2019
  5. ^ Bruce, Keith (7 October 1997). "Only beginning and all's well". The Herald. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  6. ^ Taylor, Paul (3 January 2008). "Peter Brook isn't an easy act to follow, but his daughter Irina is doing an impressive job". The Independent. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  7. ^ Kennedy, Louise (4 October 2008). "Fun ghost story is Wilde at heart". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
  8. ^ "Irina Brook, Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur". Petites Affiches des Alpes-Maritimes.
  9. ^ "Le Theatre: Irina Brook". Theatre National de Nice.
  10. ^ "La derrière romance d'Irina Brook au TNN". L'Oeil d'Olivier. 8 April 2019.
  11. ^ Igney, Natja (8 May 2019). "TNN: Curtain Call for Outgoing Director Irina Brook". Riviera Buzz.
  12. ^ von Uthmann, Jorg (20 October 2006). "Caesar Sports a Beard, High-Pitched Voice in Paris Opera". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved 30 November 2010.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Irina_Brook&oldid=1204698834"