Berkoff deported in US visa row

A theatrical performance called Shakespeare's Villains was forced to cancel in the United States after Stephen Berkoff, the villainous protagonist in the one-man play, was deported for a visa violation.

Berkoff, who was scheduled to perform the play in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, in Michigan. US immigration officials allegations that he had stayed one day past the limit on a previous work visa issued in 1997.

Berkoff, who was deported on Tuesday, said: "It was a nightmare. I have never been prevented from working in America before."

The Summer Festival's director, Evy Warshawski, said: "He kept telling them, 'I'm not a terrorist, I'm an actor!'" Berkoff has appeared in Beverly Hills Cop and A Clockwork Orange.