Opposing Forces: Distance and Proximity in Peter Brook's Mahabharata

This article looks at how Peter Brook provided a vitalized theatre experience in his production of the Mahabharata. He considers in particular how the director juggled with contradictory impulses, aiming to underline both universal traits and cultural specificity. To explore the articulation of such opposing forces, he utilizes the trope of the storyteller who plays out a relation of distance from and proximity to his or her material. This conceit is specifically used to comment on the rift that was opened up between actor and character in the production. Moreover, the article argues that Brook appropriated aspects of Bertolt Brecht's dramatic theory and highlights how distancing devices, such as the presence of a narrator figure, are prevalent in the production's text. However, it is suggested that Peter Brook exploits these devices not in order to provide a politicized form of theatre, but rather a reconfigured form of secular ceremony for audiences more than ever tempted to stay at home.