Berkoff to 'recite rather than read' Sept 11 tribute poem

Edinburgh Festival Fringe performer Steven Berkoff says he plans to recite his September 11 poem rather than read it.

His hour-long solo performance, entitled Requiem for Ground Zero, will premiere at this year's event.

It can be seen at Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms from August 14.

Berkoff said he had a "strong affiliation" with New York, and hoped to recite rather than read the epic poem he wrote in the months after the attacks.

He said: "I've always had such a strong feeling for America, particularly for New York where I've been many times.

"There are a lot of things wrong with it, but I've always found New York to be a responsive and warm-hearted city, and people have been responsive to me."

Berkoff says the show is also a memorial to "the many unknown victims" of the attacks.

He added: "I'm looking at the motives for it, the response, the event itself and the feelings and ideas it has generated.

"Basically, it's based on the reaction - the horror, the shock, the pain, the madness of it - but also why and how it was done."