Yoshi Oida, a Japanese speaking neither English nor French, became the first member of Peter Brook's international theatre company in Paris, in 1968. Trained in the traditional Japanese arts of Noh theatre, Kabuki dance and Bunraku storytelling, he had taken the bold step of leaving his own country in search of a fresh vision of theatre.

Since then, he has become a leading member of the company. He participated in the extraordinary explorative journey through Africa, an expedition without precedent in the history of theatre, and has played starring roles in The Ik, The Conference of the Birds, The Mahabharata and The Tempest. But An Actor Adrift is not only a fascinating personal story of an actor at work. For many years, Yoshi Oida has been involved in the training of Brook's company.

His account includes an explanation of the genesis of the techniques and exercises which have formed the basis of their internationally-celebrated work.