The Empty Space remains a cornerstone of thinking about theatre. Written with a refreshing clarity, and full of personal insights, it sets out Brook's influential concept of the four different types of theatre – The Deadly Theatre, The Holy Theatre, The Rough Theatre and The Immediate Theatre – and investigates the evolution of theatrical ideas, from Stanislavsky and Method acting to Brecht and Happenings, as well as examining different ways of playing Shakespeare.
Firmly rooted in Brook's own experience as a ceaselessly questing theatre-maker, The Empty Space continues to inspire and instruct new generations of theatre-makers everywhere.