V&A acquires Peter Brook archive

Brook's work spans eight decades

The Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in London has acquired the archive of theatre director Peter Brook.

The papers include photos, drawings and correspondence with theatre giants including Samuel Beckett, Laurence Olivier and Tennessee Williams.

The director worked with Olivier in several RSC productions.

Brook, 89, said he was delighted the papers "which preserve something of the most ephemeral of art forms, will be made available to future generations".

The V&A acquired Brook's archive with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and a private donor.

His diaries, drafts of scripts, books and notes offer an insight into his working processes.

Born in London in 1925, Brook directed Dr Faustus, his first production, in 1943 at the Torch Theatre in London.

Between 1947 and 1950, he was director of productions at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.

In 1985, Brook adapted the Indian epic poem the Mahabharata into a stage play which lasted nine hours. He also directed films, including the celebrated 1963 adaptation of William Golding's Lord of the Flies.

The V&A's curator of theatre and performance, Kate Dorney, said: "Peter Brook's work has had a major impact on British culture and we are delighted that he has chosen the V&A as the home for his incredible collection of personal documents.

"Brook used the V&A's collections to research his early opera productions and now Brook's work will be available to study and inspire future productions."