Sir Peter Reginald Frederick Hall

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(22 November 1930 11 September 2017) was an English theatre, opera and film director. His obituary in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' declared him "the most important figure in British theatre for half a century" and on his death, a

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

statement declared that Hall's "influence on the artistic life of Britain in the 20th century was unparalleled". In 2018, the

Laurence Olivier Awards The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as ...

, recognizing achievements in London theatre, changed the award for Best Director to the Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director. In 1955, Hall introduced London audiences to the work of

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish novelist, dramatist, short story writer, theatre director, poet, and literary translator. His literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal and tragicomic expe ...

with the UK premiere of '' Waiting for Godot''. Hall founded the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

(1960–68) and went on to build an international reputation in theatre, opera, film and television. He was director of the National Theatre (1973–88) and artistic director of

Glyndebourne Festival Opera Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an annual opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England. History Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been held annually since 1934, e ...

(19841990). He formed the Peter Hall Company (19982011) and became founding director of the

Rose Theatre Kingston The Rose Theatre Kingston is a theatre on Kingston High Street in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The theatre seats 822 around a wide, thrust stage. It officially opened on 16 January 2008 with ''Uncle Vanya'' by Anton Chekhov, with ...

in 2003. Throughout his career, he was a tenacious champion of public funding for the arts.

Early life and career

Peter Reginald Frederick Hall was born in

Suffolk Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include Lowes ...

Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market town, market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – ...

, the only son of Grace Florence (née Pamment) and Reginald Edward Arthur Hall. His father was a stationmaster and the family lived for some time at

Great Shelford Great Shelford is a village located approximately to the south of Cambridge, in the county of Cambridgeshire, in eastern England. In 1850 Great Shelford parish contained bisected by the river Cam. The population in 1841 was 803 people. By 2001 ...

Station. He won a scholarship to

The Perse School (He who does things for others does them for himself) , established = , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent day school , religion = Nondenominational Christian , president = , head_label = Head , he ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

. Before taking up a further scholarship to read English at St. Catharine's College,

, Hall did his

National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The l ...

in Germany at the RAF Headquarters for Education in

Bückeburg Bückeburg (Northern Low Saxon: ''Bückeborg'') is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the border with North Rhine Westphalia. It is located in the district of Schaumburg close to the northern slopes of the Weserbergland ridge. Population: 21,0 ...

. Whilst studying at Cambridge he produced and acted in a number of plays, directing five in his final year and a further three for The Marlowe Society Summer Festival. He served on the University Amateur Dramatic Club (ADC) committee before graduating in 1953. In the same year, Hall staged his first professional play, ''The Letter'' by

W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

, at The Theatre Royal Windsor. In 1954 and 1955, Hall was the director of the

Oxford Playhouse Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F.G.M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum. History The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road, North Oxfor ...

where he directed several later prominent young actors including

Ronnie Barker Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as '' Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', and ''Open All Hours''. ...

and

Billie Whitelaw Billie Honor Whitelaw (6 June 1932 – 21 December 2014) was an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and was regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works. She was al ...

Eileen Atkins Dame Eileen June Atkins, (born 16 June 1934), is an English actress and occasional screenwriter. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy A ...

and

Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (born 28 December 1934) is an English actress. With an extensive career on screen and stage beginning in the mid-1950s, Smith has appeared in more than sixty films and seventy plays. She is one of the few performer ...

were also part of the company as acting Assistants Stage Managers. From 1955 to 1957, Hall ran the

Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. History It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre censorship by the Lord Chamberl ...

in London where he directed the English-language premiere of '' Waiting for Godot'' in 1955. The production's success transformed his career overnight and attracted the attention, among others, of

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

, for whom he would direct the London premieres of '' Camino Real'' (1957) and ''

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams. An adaptation of his 1952 short story "Three Players of a Summer Game", the play was written by him between 1953 and 1955. One of Williams's more famous works and his p ...

'' (1958), and

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...

. Other productions at The Arts included the English language premiere of ''

The Waltz of the Toreadors ''The Waltz of the Toreadors'' (''La Valse des toréadors'') is a 1951 play by Jean Anouilh. Plot This bitter farce is set in 1910 France and focuses on General Léon Saint-Pé and his infatuation with Ghislaine, a woman with whom he danced at a g ...

'' by

Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an ad ...

Royal Shakespeare Company

Hall made his debut at the

Shakespeare Memorial Theatre The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) (originally called the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) is a grade II* listed 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakespea ...

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...

in 1956 with ''

Love's Labour's Lost ''Love's Labour's Lost'' is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s for a performance at the Inns of Court before Elizabeth I of England, Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and ...

'': his productions there in the 19571959 seasons included ''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' , also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in British Iron Age, Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concerni ...

'' with

Peggy Ashcroft Dame Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft (22 December 1907 – 14 June 1991), known professionally as Peggy Ashcroft, was an English actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. Born to a comfortable middle-class family, Ashcroft was deter ...

as Imogen, ''

Coriolanus ''Coriolanus'' ( or ) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1605 and 1608. The play is based on the life of the legendary Roman leader Caius Marcius Coriolanus. Shakespeare worked on it during the same ye ...

'' with

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

and ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'' with

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future w ...

. In 1960, aged 29, Hall succeeded

Glen Byam Shaw Glencairn Alexander "Glen" Byam Shaw, CBE (13 December 1904 – 29 April 1986) was an English actor and theatre director, known for his dramatic productions in the 1950s and his operatic productions in the 1960s and later. In the 1920s and 1930s ...

as director of the theatre, expanded operations to be all-year, and founded the

(RSC) to realise his vision of a resident ensemble of actors, directors and designers producing both modern and classic texts, with a distinctive house style. The company not only played in Stratford but expanded into the

Aldwych Theatre The Aldwych Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Aldwych in the City of Westminster, central London. It was listed Grade II on 20 July 1971. Its seating capacity is 1,200 on three levels. History Origins The theatre was constructed in th ...

, its first London home. Hall's many productions for the RSC included ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' (1965, with

David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to: Sports * Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor * David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier * David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer Oth ...

), ''The Government Inspector'' (1966, with

Paul Scofield David Paul Scofield (21 January 1922 – 19 March 2008) was a British actor. During a six-decade career, Scofield achieved the US Triple Crown of Acting, winning an Academy Awards, Academy Award, Emmy Award, Emmy, and Tony Award, Tony for his ...

), the world premiere of Harold Pinter's ''

The Homecoming ''The Homecoming'' is a two-act play written in 1964 by Harold Pinter and first published in 1965. Its premières in London (1965) and New York (1967) were both directed by Sir Peter Hall. The original Broadway production won the 1967 Tony A ...

'' (1965) and ''

The Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses (1455–1487), known at the time and for more than a century after as the Civil Wars, were a series of civil wars fought over control of the throne of England, English throne in the mid-to-late fifteenth century. These w ...

'' (1963) adapted with John Barton from Shakespeare's history plays. The latter was described as "the greatest Shakespearian event in living memory which also laid down the doctrine of Shakespearian relevance to the modern world". Hall left the RSC in 1968 after almost ten years as its director.

At the National Theatre

Hall was appointed director of the National Theatre (NT) in 1973 and led the organisation for fifteen years until 1988. He supervised the move from the

Old Vic Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary * Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...

to the new purpose-built complex on London's

South Bank The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial district in central London, next to the River Thames opposite the City of Westminster. It forms a narrow strip of riverside land within the London Borough of Lambeth (where it adjoins Alber ...

"in the face of wide-spread scepticism and violent union unrest, turning a potential catastrophe into the great success story it remains today." Frustrated by construction delays, Hall decided to move the company into the still-unfinished building and to open it theatre by theatre as each neared completion. Extracts from his production of ''

Tamburlaine the Great ''Tamburlaine the Great'' is a play in two parts by Christopher Marlowe. It is loosely based on the life of the Central Asian emperor Timur (Tamerlane/Timur the Lame, d. 1405). Written in 1587 or 1588, the play is a milestone in Elizabethan p ...

'' with

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining prominence on screen in the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' (1960) ...

were performed out on the terraces, free to passers-by. Hall directed thirty-three productions for the NT including the world premieres of Harold Pinter's ''

No Man's Land No man's land is waste or unowned land or an uninhabited or desolate area that may be under dispute between parties who leave it unoccupied out of fear or uncertainty. The term was originally used to define a contested territory or a dump ...

'' (1975, with

John Gielgud Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...

and

Ralph Richardson Sir Ralph David Richardson (19 December 1902 – 10 October 1983) was an English actor who, with John Gielgud and Laurence Olivier, was one of the trinity of male actors who dominated the British stage for much of the 20th century. He wo ...

) and ''

Betrayal Betrayal is the breaking or violation of a presumptive contract, trust, or confidence that produces moral and psychological conflict within a relationship amongst individuals, between organizations or between individuals and organizations. Ofte ...

'' (1978),

Peter Shaffer Sir Peter Levin Shaffer (; 15 May 1926 – 6 June 2016) was an English playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. He wrote numerous award-winning plays, of which several were adapted into films. Early life Shaffer was born to a Jewish family in L ...

's ''

Amadeus Amadeus may refer to: *Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), prolific and influential composer of classical music *Amadeus (name), a given name and people with the name * ''Amadeus'' (play), 1979 stage play by Peter Shaffer * ''Amadeus'' (film), ...

'' (1979, with

and

Simon Callow Simon Phillip Hugh Callow (born 15 June 1949) is an English film, television and voice actor, director, narrator and writer. He was twice nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his roles in ''A Room with a View (1985 ...

), and the London and Broadway premieres of

Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of ...

's ''

Bedroom Farce A bedroom farce or sex farce is a type of light comedy, which centres on the sexual pairings and recombinations of characters as they move through improbable plots and slamming doors. Overview The most famous bedroom farceur is probably George ...

''. Other landmark productions included ''

The Oresteia The ''Oresteia'' ( grc, Ὀρέστεια) is a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus in the 5th century BCE, concerning the murder of Agamemnon by Clytemnestra, the murder of Clytemnestra by Orestes, the trial of Orestes, the end of th ...

'' (in a version by

Tony Harrison Tony Harrison (born 30 April 1937) is an English poet, translator and playwright. He was born in Beeston, Leeds and he received his education in Classics from Leeds Grammar School and Leeds University. He is one of Britain's foremost verse w ...

with music by

Harrison Birtwistle Sir Harrison Birtwistle (15 July 1934 – 18 April 2022) was an English composer of contemporary classical music best known for his operas, often based on mythological subjects. Among his many compositions, his better known works include ''Th ...

, 1981) which became the first Greek play to be performed by a foreign company at the ancient theatre of

Epidaurus Epidaurus ( gr, Ἐπίδαυρος) was a small city (''polis'') in ancient Greece, on the Argolid Peninsula at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros: ''Palaia Epidavros'' and ''Nea Epidavros''. Since 2010 they belong to the ...

, ''

Animal Farm ''Animal Farm'' is a beast fable, in the form of satirical allegorical novella, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer, hoping to crea ...

'' (in his own adaptation, 1984) and ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in around ...

'' with

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Regarded as one of Britain's best actresses, she is noted for her versatile work in various films and television programmes encompassing several genres, as well as for her ...

and

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor, director, and producer. One of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins has received many accolad ...

(1987). Hall returned to the NT for the last time in 2011 with a production of ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' mounted by the company to celebrate his eightieth birthday. His daughter,

Rebecca Hall Rebecca Maria Hall (born 3 May 1982) is an English actress and filmmaker. She made her first onscreen appearance at age 10 in the 1992 television adaptation of ''The Camomile Lawn'', directed by her father, Sir Peter Hall. Her professional s ...

, played

Viola The viola ( , also , ) is a string instrument that is bow (music), bowed, plucked, or played with varying techniques. Slightly larger than a violin, it has a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of ...

alongside Simon Callow as Sir Toby Belch in the Cottesloe Theatre.

Later theatre career

Upon leaving the NT in 1988, Hall launched his own commercial company with productions in the West End and on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

of Tennessee Williams' ''

Orpheus Descending ''Orpheus Descending'' is a three-act play by Tennessee Williams. It was first presented on Broadway on March 17, 1957 but had only a brief run (68 performances) and modest success. It was revived on Broadway in 1989, directed by Peter Hall an ...

'' (with

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress and activist. Throughout her career spanning over seven decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Television Award, two ...

) and ''The Merchant of Venice'' (with

Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...

). The Peter Hall Company went on to stage more than sixty plays in association with a number of producing partners including

Bill Kenwright William Kenwright, CBE (born 4 September 1945) is an English West End theatre producer and film producer. He has also been the chairman of Everton Football Club since 2004. Kenwright was born in Liverpool and attended Booker Avenue County Prima ...

and

Thelma Holt Thelma Holt (born 4 January 1932) is a British theatre producer and former actress. After a successful career as an actress, in partnership with Charles Marowitz, Thelma founded the Open Space Theatre in Tottenham Court Road, London, which b ...

. In addition to an ensemble repertory season at the

(1997), the company enjoyed a long collaboration with the

Theatre Royal, Bath The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audien ...

where a series of summer festivals were staged from 20032011: many productions were subsequently performed on domestic and international tours and in the West End. The plays produced included

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

's ''

An Ideal Husband ''An Ideal Husband'' is a four-act play by Oscar Wilde that revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. It was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre, London in 1895 and ran for ...

'' (1992),

Pam Gems Pam Gems (1 August 1925 – 13 May 2011) was an English playwright. The author of numerous original plays, as well as of adaptations of works by European playwrights of the past, Gems is best known for the 1978 musical play '' Piaf''. Personal ...

' '' Piaf'' (with

Elaine Paige Elaine Jill Paige (née Bickerstaff; born 5 March 1948) is an English singer and actress, best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, Hertfordshire, Paige attended the Aida Foster Theatre School, making her first professiona ...

, 1993), ''Hamlet'' (with

Stephen Dillane Stephen John Dillane (; born 27 March 1957) is a British actor. He is best known for his roles as Leonard Woolf in the 2002 film '' The Hours'', Stannis Baratheon in ''Game of Thrones'', and Thomas Jefferson in the 2008 HBO miniseries ''John Ada ...

, 1994),

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

's ''

The Master Builder ''The Master Builder'' ( no, Bygmester Solness) is a play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It was first published in December 1892 and is regarded as one of Ibsen's more significant and revealing works. Performance The play was published ...

'' (with

Alan Bates Sir Alan Arthur Bates (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003) was an English actor who came to prominence in the 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from the popular children's story '' Whistle Down the Wind'' to the " kitchen sink" dram ...

, 1995), ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of person ...

'' (with

Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. She is the 13th actress to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, having won two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award, along with a Screen Actors G ...

, 1995),

Julian Barry Julian Barry ( Julian Barry Mendelsohn; born December 24, 1930) is a retired American screenwriter and playwright, best-known for his Oscar-nominated script for the 1974 film '' Lenny'' about comedian Lenny Bruce. Barry adapted the script from h ...

's ''Lenny'' (with

Eddie Izzard Edward John Izzard (; born 7 February 1962) is a British stand-up comedian, actor and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of what appears to the audience as rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomime. Izzard's stand- ...

, 1999), ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has b ...

'' (with

and

Dan Stevens Daniel Jonathan Stevens (born 10 October 1982) is a British actor and writer. He first drew international attention for his role as Matthew Crawley in the ITV acclaimed period drama series ''Downton Abbey'' (2010–2012). He also starred as D ...

, 2003), Brian Clark's '' Whose Life is it Anyway?'' (with

Kim Cattrall Kim Victoria Cattrall (; born 21 August 1956) is a British-Canadian actress. She is known for her role as Samantha Jones on HBO's ''Sex and the City'' (1998–2004), for which she received five Emmy Award nominations and four Golden Globe A ...

, 2005), the fiftieth anniversary production of ''Waiting for Godot'',

Coward Cowardice is a trait wherein excessive fear prevents an individual from taking a risk or facing danger. It is the opposite of courage. As a label, "cowardice" indicates a failure of character in the face of a challenge. One who succumbs to cowa ...

's ''

Hay Fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...

'' (with

, 2006) and

Shaw Shaw may refer to: Places Australia *Shaw, Queensland Canada *Shaw Street, a street in Toronto England *Shaw, Berkshire, a village *Shaw, Greater Manchester, a location in the parish of Shaw and Crompton *Shaw, Swindon, a List of United Kingdom ...

's ''

Pygmalion Pygmalion or Pigmalion may refer to: Mythology * Pygmalion (mythology), a sculptor who fell in love with his statue Stage * ''Pigmalion'' (opera), a 1745 opera by Jean-Philippe Rameau * ''Pygmalion'' (Rousseau), a 1762 melodrama by Jean-Jacques ...

'' (with

Tim Pigott-Smith Timothy Peter Pigott-Smith, (13 May 1946 – 7 April 2017) was an English film and television actor and author. He was best known for his leading role as Ronald Merrick in the television drama series '' The Jewel in the Crown'', for which he wo ...

and

Michelle Dockery Michelle Suzanne Dockery (born 15 December 1981) is an English television and film actress. She is best known for her leading performance as Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV television period drama series ''Downton Abbey'' (2010–2015), for which ...

, 2007). Hall's final productions for his company were ''

Henry IV, Part 1 ''Henry IV, Part 1'' (often written as ''1 Henry IV'') is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. The play dramatises part of the reign of King Henry IV of England, beginning with the battle at ...

'' and '' Part 2'' (2011), staged at the Theatre Royal Bath. Hall directed extensively in the United States including the world premiere of

John Guare John Guare ( ;; born February 5, 1938) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He is best known as the author of ''The House of Blue Leaves'' and ''Six Degrees of Separation''. Early life He was raised in Jackson Heights, Queens.Druckman, ...

's ''Four Baboons Adoring the Sun'' (

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...

, 1992), three Shakespeare plays with Center Theater Group, Los Angeles (1999 and 2001) and John Barton's nine-hour epic ''Tantalus'' (2000), an RSC co-production with the

Denver Center for the Performing Arts The Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) is an organization in Denver, Colorado which provides a showcase for live theatre, a nurturing ground for new plays, a preferred stop on the Broadway touring circuit, acting classes for the communi ...

. In 2003, Hall became the founding director of The Rose Theatre a new venue to be constructed in Kingston upon Thames whose design was inspired by the Elizabethan original. He directed a number of productions there including Chekhov's ''Uncle Vanya'', which opened the building in 2008, and ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (with Judi Dench as Titania, 2010). Hall was also appointed "Director

Emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

" of The Rose Kingston.

Opera

Peter Hall was also an internationally celebrated opera director. His first experience was in 1957, directing ''The Moon and Sixpence'' by John Gardner at

Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-sea ...

.Christiansen, Rupert. Peter Hall, 1930-2017. ''

Opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

'', Vol.68 No.11, November 2017, p1428-32. He was able to play the piano well enough to read opera scores. His first major project was Schoenberg's ''

Moses und Aron ''Moses und Aron'' (English: ''Moses and Aaron'') is a three-act opera by Arnold Schoenberg with the third act unfinished. The German libretto is by the composer after the Book of Exodus. Hungarian composer Zoltán Kocsis completed the last act w ...

'' at Covent Garden, which led on to further productions at that house. Hall worked at many of the world's leading houses as well as

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...

, including the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

in New York,

Houston Grand Opera Houston Grand Opera (HGO) is an American opera company located in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1955 by German-born impresario Walter Herbert and three local Houstonians,Giesberg, Robert I., Carl Cunningham, and Alan Rich. ''Houston Grand Opera at ...

Los Angeles Opera The Los Angeles Opera is an American opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth-largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center. Leadersh ...

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria ...

and the

Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival (german: link=no, Bayreuther Festspiele) is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of operas by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived ...

where he, with conductor Georg Solti, directed Wagner's Ring Cycle (''

Der Ring des Nibelungen (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the '' Nibe ...

'') in 1983 to honour the centenary of the composer's death. The production was played until 1986. Hall staged the world premieres of Michael Tippett's ''

The Knot Garden ''The Knot Garden'' is the third opera by composer Michael Tippett for which he wrote the original English libretto. The work had its first performance at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, on 2 December 1970 conducted by Sir Colin Davis and p ...

'' (1970) and ''

New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system to ...

'' (1989). He had a close relationship with the

Glyndebourne Festival Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an annual opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England. History Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been held annually since 1934, ...

where he was artistic director from 1984 to 1990, directing more than twenty productions including the Mozart/Da Ponte operas. His production of Benjamin Britten's ''

'' (1981) was revived nine times, most recently 35 years after its premiere, in August 2016. Hall also directed ''

Albert Herring ''Albert Herring'', Op. 39, is a chamber opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten. Composed in the winter of 1946 and the spring of 1947, this comic opera was a successor to his serious opera ''The Rape of Lucretia''. The libretto, by Eric Cr ...

'' by Benjamin Britten, Cavalli's ''

La Calisto ''La Calisto'' is an opera by Francesco Cavalli from a libretto by Giovanni Faustini based on the mythological story of Callisto. The opera received its first performance on 28 November 1651 at the Teatro Sant 'Apollinare, Venice, where it drew ...

'', Monteverdi's ''

Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria ''Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria'' (Stattkus-Verzeichnis, SV 325, ''The Return of Ulysses to his Homeland'') is an List of operas by Claudio Monteverdi, opera consisting of a prologue and five acts (later revised to three), set by Claudio Montever ...

'' and Gluck's ''

Orfeo ed Euridice ' (; French: '; English: ''Orpheus and Eurydice'') is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck, based on Orpheus, the myth of Orpheus and set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the ''azione teatrale'', mea ...

'' (all with

Janet Baker Dame Janet Abbott Baker (born 21 August 1933) is an English mezzo-soprano best known as an opera, concert, and lieder singer.Blyth, Alan, "Baker, Dame Janet (Abbott)" in Sadie, Stanley, ed.; John Tyrell; exec. ed. (2001). ''New Grove Dictionar ...

); ''

L'incoronazione di Poppea ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' ( SV 308, ''The Coronation of Poppaea'') is an Italian opera by Claudio Monteverdi. It was Monteverdi's last opera, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello, and was first performed at the Teatro Santi Giovanni ...

'' and ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

'' – both with his then wife,

Maria Ewing Maria Louise Ewing (March 27, 1950 – January 9, 2022) was an American opera singer. In the early part of her career she performed solely as a lyric mezzo-soprano; she later assumed full soprano parts as well. Her signature roles were Blanche, ...

, with whom he also staged a celebrated ''

Salome Salome (; he, שְלוֹמִית, Shlomit, related to , "peace"; el, Σαλώμη), also known as Salome III, was a Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II, son of Herod the Great, and princess Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great, an ...

'' (The Royal Opera London and L.A. Opera) in 1986. ''Opera magazine'' noted Hall's characteristics as (in relation to ''

La Cenerentola ' (''Cinderella, or Goodness Triumphant'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, based on the libretti written by Charles-Guillaume Étienne for the opera '' Cendrillon'' ...

'' at Glyndebourne) "dignity and emotional veracity", recalling that "he would always insist that 'the singers, like actors, played off each other'".

Film and TV

Hall's films for cinema and TV include ''

Akenfield ''Akenfield'' is a film made by Peter Hall in 1974, based loosely upon the book ''Akenfield: Portrait of an English Village'' by Ronald Blythe (1969). Blythe himself has a cameo role as the vicar and all other parts are played by real-lif ...

'' (1974), a fictionalisation based on

Ronald Blythe Ronald George Blythe (born 6 November 1922)"Dr Ronald Blythe ...

's oral history and filmed in Blythe's native Suffolk with a cast of local people. It was restored and relaunched in 2016 by the BFI. Hall's film ''

She's Been Away ''She's Been Away'' is a 1989 British television play by Stephen Poliakoff and directed by Sir Peter Hall. In her final appearance it starred Dame Peggy Ashcroft, who won two awards at the Venice International Film Festival The Venice F ...

'' was written by

Stephen Poliakoff Stephen Poliakoff (born 1 December 1952) is a British playwright, director and screenwriter. In 2006 Gerard Gilbert of ''The Independent'' described him as the UK's "pre-eminent TV dramatist" who had "inherited Dennis Potter's crown". Early ...

and starred

and

Geraldine James Geraldine James, OBE (born 6 July 1950) is an English film and television actress. Biography Early life and family James was born in Maidenhead, Berkshire, to a cardiologist father and an alcoholic mother, who had been a nurse. She failed her ...

who both won awards for their performances at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

. Hall also directed ''

The Camomile Lawn ''The Camomile Lawn'' is a 1984 novel by Mary Wesley beginning with a family holiday in Cornwall in the last summer of peace before the Second World War. When the family is reunited for a funeral nearly fifty years later, it brings home to them ...

'' and ''The Final Passage'' for

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

television, as well as a number of his opera and stage productions. His only American studio movie, the 1995 erotic thriller ''

Never Talk to Strangers ''Never Talk to Strangers'' is a 1995 erotic thriller film directed by Peter Hall and starring Antonio Banderas and Rebecca De Mornay. Plot Psychologist Dr. Sarah Taylor is a guarded, aloof criminal psychologist who interviews a client who is ...

'', "proved to me that I have no aptitude whatever for surviving the Hollywood rat race," as Hall wrote in the updated edition of his memoir ''Making an Exhibition of Myself''. For several years during the 1970s he presented the arts programme ''

Aquarius Aquarius may refer to: Astrology * Aquarius (astrology), an astrological sign * Age of Aquarius, a time period in the cycle of astrological ages Astronomy * Aquarius (constellation) * Aquarius in Chinese astronomy Arts and entertainme ...

'' for London Weekend Television. In 2005 he was the subject of a two-hour documentary for ''

The South Bank Show ''The South Bank Show'' is a British television arts magazine series originally produced by London Weekend Television and broadcast on ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new version of the series began 27 May 2012 on Sky Arts. Conceived, written, ...

'', ''Peter Hall, Fifty Years in Theatre''.

Acting

Hall began acting as a student at Cambridge University, where

Dadie Rylands George Humphrey Wolferstan Rylands (23 October 1902 – 16 January 1999), known as Dadie Rylands, was a British literary scholar and theatre director. Rylands was born at the Down House, Tockington, Gloucestershire, to Thomas Kirkland Ry ...

taught him to speak Shakespearean verse. He was also influenced in his understanding of Shakespeare by the literary critic and teacher

F. R. Leavis Frank Raymond "F. R." Leavis (14 July 1895 – 14 April 1978) was an English literary critic of the early-to-mid-twentieth century. He taught for much of his career at Downing College, Cambridge, and later at the University of York. Leavis ra ...

. He subsequently acted in three German films in the 1970s: '' Der Fußgänger'' (''The Pedestrian'', directed by

Maximilian Schell Maximilian Schell (8 December 1930 – 1 February 2014) was an Austrian-born Swiss actor, who also wrote, directed and produced some of his own films. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the 1961 American film ''Judgment at Nuremberg'', h ...

, 1973), '' Als Mutter streikte'' (''When Mother Went on Strike'', 1974) and '' Der letzte Schrei'' (''The Last Word'', 1974).

Books

His books on theatre include ''The Necessary Theatre'' (Nick Hern, 1999), ''Exposed by the Mask'' (Oberon, 2000) and ''Shakespeare's Advice to the Players'' (Oberon, 2003). ''The Peter Hall Diaries the Story of a Dramatic Battle'', edited by

John Goodwin John Goodwin may refer to: Politicians *John Goodwin (Parliamentarian) (1603–1674), Member of Parliament for Reigate * John B. Goodwin (1850–1921), Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia in the late 1880s *John Noble Goodwin (1824–1887), 1st Governor of ...

(Hamish Hamilton) were first published in 1983 and documented his struggle to establish the National Theatre on the South Bank. His autobiography, ''Making an Exhibition of Myself'' (Sinclair-Stevenson), was published in 1993.

Awards

Peter Hall was appointed a

in 1963 and

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in 1977 for his services to the theatre. He was awarded the

Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...

(1965), received the Hamburg University Shakespeare Prize (1967) and was elected Member of the

Athens Academy The Academy of Athens ( el, Ακαδημία Αθηνών, ''Akadimía Athinón'') is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, with its founding principle traces back to the ...

for Services to Greek Drama (2004). His professional awards and nominations included two

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...

s (''The Homecoming'' and ''Amadeus'') and four awards for lifetime achievement in the arts. In 2005 Hall was inducted into the

American Theater Hall of Fame The American Theater Hall of Fame in New York City was founded in 1972. Earl Blackwell was the first head of the organization's Executive Committee. In an announcement in 1972, he said that the new ''Theater Hall of Fame'' would be located in the ...

. He was Chancellor of

Kingston University , mottoeng = "Through Learning We Progress" , established = – gained University Status – Kingston Technical Institute , type = Public , endowment = £2.3 m (2015) , ...

(20002013), held the Wortham Chair in Performing Arts at the

University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...

(19992002) and was awarded honorary doctorates from a number of universities including Cambridge, York, Liverpool, Bath and London.

Personal life

Hall was married four times. He had six children and nine grandchildren. His first wife was French actress

Leslie Caron Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. She is one ...

, with whom he had a son,

Christopher Christopher is the English language, English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek language, Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or ''Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Jesus ...

(b. 1957), and a daughter,

Jennifer Jennifer or Jenifer may refer to: People *Jennifer (given name) * Jenifer (singer), French pop singer * Jennifer Warnes, American singer who formerly used the stage name Jennifer * Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer * Daniel Jenifer Film and tele ...

(b. 1958). With his second wife, Jacqueline Taylor, he had a son,

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...

(b. 1966), and a daughter, Lucy (b. 1969). Hall married American opera singer

in 1982 with whom he had one daughter,

Rebecca Rebecca, ; Syriac: , ) from the Hebrew (lit., 'connection'), from Semitic root , 'to tie, couple or join', 'to secure', or 'to snare') () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical ...

(b. 1982). He was finally married to Nicki Frei; the couple had one daughter, Emma (b. 1992). Hall worked with all his children: for the National Theatre, Jennifer played Miranda in ''The Tempest'' (1988); Rebecca, aged nine, played young Sophie in the Channel 4 adaptation of ''The Camomile Lawn'', for The Peter Hall Company she played Vivie in ''Mrs Warren's Profession'' (2002), Rosalind in ''As You Like It'' (2003), Maria in ''Gallileo's Daughter'' (2004) and, for the NT, Viola in ''Twelfth Night'' (2011); Emma, aged two, played Joseph in ''Jacob'' (2004, TV Movie); for the Peter Hall Company, Lucy designed ''Hamlet'' (1994), ''Cuckoos'' (2003) and ''Whose Life is it Anyway?'' (2005); Christopher produced the Channel 4 television drama ''The Final Passage'' (1996); Edward co-directed the stage epic ''Tantalus'' (2000). Hall was diagnosed with

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

in 2011 and retired from public life. Hall was described by ''

Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unite ...

'' contributor

Mark Lawson Mark Gerard Lawson is an English journalist, broadcaster and author. Specialising in culture and the arts, he is best known for presenting the flagship BBC Radio 4 arts programme ''Front Row (radio programme), Front Row'' between 1998 and 2014. ...

as a "committed atheist, from as early as his 20s", leading "to a punishing work rate in his hurry to get everything done".

Death and legacy

On 11 September 2017, Hall died from pneumonia at

University College Hospital University College Hospital (UCH) is a teaching hospital in the Fitzrovia area of the London Borough of Camden, England. The hospital, which was founded as the North London Hospital in 1834, is closely associated with University College London ...

, London, surrounded by family. He was 86 years old. His obituary in ''

'' declared him "the most important figure in British theatre for half a century" and a

statement declared that Hall's "influence on the artistic life of Britain in the 20th century was unparalleled". Many luminaries of British theatre paid tribute to Hall.

Nicholas Hytner Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner (; born 7 May 1956) is an English theatre director, film director, and film producer. He was previously the Artistic Director of London's National Theatre. His major successes as director include ''Miss Saigon'', ''Th ...

said: "Without him there would have been no Royal Shakespeare Company.""Sir Peter Hall, Royal Shakespeare Company founder, dies aged 86"
''Daily Telegraph', 12 September 2017.

Trevor Nunn Sir Trevor Robert Nunn (born 14 January 1940) is a British theatre director. He has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed dramas f ...

said: "Not only a thrilling director, he was the great impresario of the age."

Richard Eyre Sir Richard Charles Hastings Eyre (born 28 March 1943) is an English film, theatre, television and opera director. Biography Eyre was born in Barnstaple, Devon, England, the son of Richard Galfridus Hastings Giles Eyre and his wife, Minna Ma ...

called Hall the "godfather" of British theatre: "Peter created the template of the modern director – part-magus, part-impresario, part-politician, part celebrity." Impresario

Cameron Mackintosh Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh (born 17 October 1946) is a British theatrical producer and theatre owner notable for his association with many commercially successful musicals. At the height of his success in 1990, he was described as being "th ...

said: "It's thanks to Peter Hall that people like Trevor Nunn, Nicholas Hytner and

Sam Mendes Sir Samuel Alexander Mendes (born 1 August 1965) is a British film and stage director, producer, and screenwriter. In 2000, Mendes was appointed a CBE for his services to drama, and he was Knight Bachelor, knighted in the 2020 New Year Honour ...

transformed musical theatre around the world." Theatre critic

Michael Coveney Michael Coveney (born 24 July 1948) is a British theatre critic. Education and career Coveney was born in London and educated at St Ignatius’ College, Stamford Hill, and Worcester College, Oxford. After graduation, he worked as a script re ...

said that he believed Hall's production of ''The Wars of the Roses'' "recast the hakespearehistory plays and put them at the centre of our culture".

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...

said: "Peter was a man for all seasons – he could play any part that was needed".

said: "Peter Hall had absolute authority and, as a heavyweight of the theatre, real presence."

Griff Rhys Jones Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. Rhys Jones came to national attention in the 1980s for h ...

said: "Peter was an absolute smoothie, the most charming and diplomatic man" and

Samuel West Samuel Alexander Joseph West (born 19 June 1966) is an English actor, narrator and theatre director. He has directed on stage and radio, and worked as an actor across theatre, film, television and radio. He often appears as reciter with orche ...

said "Peter was an extraordinarily energetic, imaginative director – if you left him in the corner of a room he'd direct a play – but he was also a great campaigner. He never stopped arguing for the role of subsidised art in a civilised society and its ability to change people's lives." In April 2018, the

Society of London Theatre The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) is an umbrella organisation for West End theatre in London. Founded in 1908, as Society of West End Theatre Managers, then Society of West End Theatre in 1975, changing to its current name in 1994, the (SOLT) ...

, which presents the annual

recognizing achievements in London theatre, changed the award for Best Director to the Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director.

Selected works

Stage productions

Hall published a complete list of his productions in his autobiography: * ''The Letter'' (

, Theatre Royal Windsor) 1953 * ''Blood Wedding'' ( Lorca, London debut, Arts Theatre) 1954 * ''The Impresario from Smyrna'' ( Goldoni, Arts Theatre) 1954 * ''The Immoralist'' ( Gide, Arts Theatre) 1954 * ''Listen to the Wind'' (Angela Jeans, music by Vivian Ellis, Arts Theatre) 1954 * ''The Lesson'' ( Ionesco, Arts Theatre) 1955 * ''South'' (Julian Green, Arts Theatre) 1955 * ''

Mourning Becomes Electra ''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...

'' (

O'Neill The O'Neill dynasty (Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin, that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically the most prominent family of the Northern ...

, Arts Theatre) 1955 * '' Waiting for Godot'' ( Beckett, English-language world premiere, Arts Theatre) 1955 * ''The Burnt Flower-Bed'' (Ugo Betti, Arts Theatre) 1955 * ''Summertime'' (Ugo Betti, Arts Theatre) 1955 * ''

'' (

, English-language premiere, Arts Theatre) 1956 * ''Gigi'' (

Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known mononymously as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her ...

, New Theatre) 1956 * ''Love's Labours Lost'' (Shakespeare, Stratford-on-Avon) 1956 * ''The Gates of Summer'' (

John Whiting John Robert Whiting (15 November 1917 – 16 June 1963) was an English actor, dramatist and critic. Life and career Born in Salisbury, he was educated at Taunton School, "the particular hellish life which is the English public school" as he ...

, New Theatre Oxford) 1956 * ''Camino Real'' (

, Phoenix Theatre, London) 1957 * ''The Moon and Sixpence'' (John Gardner, opera debut, Sadlers Wells) 1957 * ''Cymbeline'' (Shakespeare, Stratford-on-Avon) 1957 * ''The Rope Dancers'' (Morton Wishengard, New York debut, Cort Theatre) 1957 * ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' (

, Comedy Theatre) 1958 * ''Twelfth Night'' (Shakespeare, Stratford-on-Avon) 1958 * ''Brouhaha'' (George Tabori, Aldwych) 1958 * ''Shadow of Heroes'' (Robert Ardrey, Piccadilly Theatre) 1958 * ''Madame de…'' (Anouilh, Arts Theatre) 1959 * ''Traveller Without Luggage'' (Anouilh, Arts Theatre) 1959 * ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (Shakespeare, Stratford-on-Avon) 1959 * ''Coriolanus'' (Shakespeare, Stratford-on-Avon) 1959 * ''The Wrong Side of the Park'' (

John Mortimer Sir John Clifford Mortimer (21 April 1923 – 16 January 2009) was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author. He is best known for novels about a barrister named Horace Rumpole. Early life Mortimer was born in Hampstead, London, ...

, Cambridge Theatre) 1959 * ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' (Shakespeare, Royal Shakespeare Company) 1960 * ''Twelfth Night'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1960 * ''Troilus and Cressida'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1960 * ''Ondine'' (Giradoux, RSC, Aldwych) 1961 * ''Becket'' (Anouilh, RSC, Aldwych) 1961 * ''Romeo and Juliet'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1961 * ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1962 * ''The Collection'' (Pinter, RSC) 1962 * ''Troilus and Cressida'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1962 * ''

'' (adapted with John Barton from Shakespeare's ''Henry VI Parts 1, 2 and 3'' and ''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...

'', RSC) 1963 * ''Edward IV'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1963 * ''Richard II'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1964 * ''Henry IV Parts 1 and 2'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1964 * ''Henry V'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1964 * ''Eh?'' (Henry Livings, RSC, Aldwych) 1964 * ''The Homecoming'' (Pinter, world premiere, RSC) 1965 * ''Moses and Aaron'' ( Schoenberg, UK premiere, Royal Opera House) 1965 * ''Hamlet'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1965 * ''The Government Inspector'' (

Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...

, RSC, Aldwych) 1966 * ''The Magic Flute'' (

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

, Royal Opera House) 1966 * ''Staircase'' (Charles Wood, RSC, Aldwych) 1966 * ''Macbeth'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1967 * ''A Delicate Balance'' (

Edward Albee Edward Franklin Albee III ( ; March 12, 1928 – September 16, 2016) was an American playwright known for works such as ''The Zoo Story'' (1958), '' The Sandbox'' (1959), ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1962), '' A Delicate Balance'' (1966) ...

, RSC, Aldwych) 1969 * ''Dutch Uncle'' (Simon Gray, RSC, Aldwych) 1969 * ''Landscape'' and ''Silence'' (Pinter, world premieres, RSC, Aldwych) 1969 * ''The Knot Garden'' ( Tippett, world premiere, Royal Opera House) 1970 * ''La Calisto'' (Cavalli, Glyndebourne debut, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1970 * ''The Battle of Shrivings'' ( Shaffer, Lyric Theatre) 1970 * ''Eugene Onegin'' (

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

, Royal Opera House) 1971 * ''

Old Times ''Old Times'' is a play by the List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter. It was first performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Aldwych Theatre in London on 1 June 1971. It starred Colin Blakely, Dorothy Tutin ...

'' (Harold Pinter, world premiere, RSC Aldwych) 1971 * ''Tristan und Isolde'' (

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

, Royal Opera House) 1971 * ''All Over'' (Edward Albee, RSC, Aldwych) 1972 * ''Il Ritorno d'Ulisse'' (

Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered ...

, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1972 * ''

Via Galactica ''Via Galactica'' is a rock musical with a book by Christopher Gore and Judith Ross, lyrics by Gore, and music by Galt MacDermot. It marked the Broadway debut of actor Mark Baker. Originally entitled ''Up!'', it offers a futuristic story of soc ...

'' (lyrics by Christopher Gore, music by Galt McDermot, New York) 1972 * ''Le Nozze di Figaro'' (Mozart, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1973 * ''The Tempest'' (Shakespeare, National Theatre) 1973 * ''John Gabriel Borkman'' (

Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

, NT) 1974 * ''Happy Days'' (Beckett, NT) 1974 * ''No Man's Land'' (Pinter, world premiere, NT) 1975 * ''Hamlet'' (Shakespeare, official opening of the Lyttelton, NT) 1975 * ''Judgement'' (Barry Collins, NT) 1975 * ''Tamburlaine the Great'' (

Christopher Marlowe Christopher Marlowe, also known as Kit Marlowe (; baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), was an English playwright, poet and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the Elizabethan playwrights. Based upon the ...

, official opening of the Olivier, NT) 1976 * ''Bedroom Farce'' (Ayckbourn, also co-director, London and US premieres, NT and Broadway) 1977 * ''Don Giovanni'' (Mozart, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1977 * ''Volpone'' (

Ben Jonson Benjamin "Ben" Jonson (c. 11 June 1572 – c. 16 August 1637) was an English playwright and poet. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for t ...

, NT) 1977 * ''The Country Wife'' ( Wycherley, NT) 1977 * ''Cosi fan Tutte'' (Mozart, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1978 * ''The Cherry Orchard'' (Chekhov, NT) 1978 * ''Macbeth'' (Shakespeare, NT) 1978 * ''

'' (Pinter, world premiere, NT) 1978 * ''Fidelio'' (

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...

, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1979 * ''

'' (Peter Shaffer, world premiere, NT) 1979 * ''Othello'' (Shakespeare, NT) 1980 * ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (

Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1981 * ''The Oresteia'' (

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; grc-gre, Αἰσχύλος ; c. 525/524 – c. 456/455 BC) was an ancient Greek tragedian, and is often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek ...

, trans. Harrison, NT and Epidaurus) 1981 * ''Orfeo et Eurydice'' (

Gluck Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period (music), classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the ...

, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1982 * ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' (

Wilde Wilde is a surname. Notable people with the name include: In arts and entertainment In film, television, and theatre * ''Wilde'' a 1997 biographical film about Oscar Wilde * Andrew Wilde (actor), English actor * Barbie Wilde (born 1960), Canadi ...

, NT) 1982 * ''Macbeth'' (

Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for his operas. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, receiving a musical education with the h ...

, Metropolitan Opera, New York) 1982 * ''Other Places'' (Pinter, world premiere, NT) 1982 * ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (Wagner, Bayreuth Festival Opera) 1983 * ''

Jean Seberg Jean Dorothy Seberg (; ; November 13, 1938August 30, 1979) was an American actress who lived half of her life in France. Her performance in Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 film ''Breathless'' immortalized her as an icon of French New Wave cinema. Seb ...

'' (lyrics by

Christopher Adler Christopher Adler (born 1972) is a musician, composer and music professor at University of San Diego. A virtuoso player of the khaen, a reed instrument native to Laos and Thailand, he has been composing works for the khaen both as a solo instrumen ...

, book by Julian Barry, music by

Marvin Hamlisch Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. Hamlisch was one of only seventeen people to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. This collection of all four is referred to as an " EGOT ...

, NT) 1983 * ''

'' (

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...

, adapted by Hall, NT) 1984 * ''Coriolanus'' (Shakespeare, NT and Athens) 1984 * ''L'Incoronazione di Poppea'' (Monteverdi, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1984 * ''Yonadab'' (Shaffer, world premiere, NT) 1985 * ''Carmen'' (

Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', which has become on ...

, Glyndebourne) 1985 * ''Albert Herring'' (Britten, Glyndebourne) 1985 * ''The Petition'' (Brian Clark, NT) 1986 * ''Simon Boccanegra'' (Verdi, Glyndebourne) 1986 * ''Salome'' (

Strauss Strauss, Strauß or Straus is a common Germanic surname. Outside Germany and Austria ''Strauß'' is always spelled ''Strauss'' (the letter " ß" is not used in the German-speaking part of Switzerland). In classical music, "Strauss" usually ref ...

, LA Opera) 1986 * ''Coming in to Land'' ( Poliakoff, world premiere, NT) 1986 * ''Antony and Cleopatra'' (Shakespeare, NT) 1987 * ''La Traviata'' (Verdi, Glyndebourne) 1987 * ''Entertaining Strangers'' ( David Edgar, NT) 1987 * ''Cymbeline'' (Shakespeare, NT, Moscow and Epidaurus) 1988 * ''The Winter's Tale'' (Shakespeare, NT, Moscow and Epidaurus) 1988 * ''The Tempest'' (Shakespeare, NT, Moscow and Epidaurus) 1988 * ''Falstaff'' (Verdi, Glyndebourne) 1988 * ''

'' (

, Peter Hall Company, Haymarket and Broadway) 1988/9 * ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'' (Shakespeare, PHCo, Phoenix Theatre and Broadway) 1989/90 * ''New Year'' (Tippett, world premiere, Houston Opera) 1989 * ''Le Nozze di Figaro'' (Mozart, Glyndebourne) 1989 * ''The Wild Duck'' (Ibsen, trans. Hall/Ewbank, PHCo, Phoenix Theatre) 1990 * ''Born Again'' (after Ionesco's ''Rhinoceros'', lyrics by Julian Barry, music by Jason Carr, PHCo/Chichester Festival Theatre) 1990 * ''The Homecoming'' (Pinter, PHCo Comedy Theatre) 1990 * ''Twelfth Night'' (Shakespeare, PHCo, Playhouse Theatre) 1991 * ''Tartuffe'' ( Moliere, trans. Bolt, PHCo, Playhouse Theatre) 1991 * ''The Rose Tattoo'' (Tennessee Williams, PHCo, Playhouse Theatre) 1991 * ''Four Baboons Adoring the Sun'' (John Guare, world premiere, Lincoln Center) 1992 * ''Sienna Red'' (Poliakoff, PHCo, Liverpool Playhouse) 1992 * ''All's Well That Ends Well'' (Shakespeare, RSC, Swan) 1992 * ''The Gift of the Gorgon'' (Shaffer, world premiere, RSC, Barbican and

Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c.1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the archit ...

) 1992 * ''An Ideal Husband'' (Wilde, PHCo/Bill Kenwright Ltd, Globe Theatre and Broadway) 1992 * ''The Magic Flute'' (Mozart, LA Opera) 1993 * ''Separate Tables'' ( Rattigan, PHCo/BKL, Albery Theatre) 1993 * ''Lysistrata'' (Aristophanes, trans. Bolt, PHCo/BKL, Old Vic, Wyndham's and Epidaurus) 1993 * ''She Stoops to Conquer'' (

Goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Nowadays they mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, goldsmiths have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), pl ...

, PHCo/BKL, Queen's Theatre) 1993 * ''Piaf'' (Pam Gems, PHCo/BKL, Piccadilly Theatre) 1993 * ''An Absolute Turkey'' ( Feydeau, trans. Hall/Frei, PHCo/BKL, Globe Theatre) 1994 * ''On Approval'' (Lonsdale, PHCo/BKL, Playhouse Theatre) 1994 * ''Hamlet'' (Shakespeare, PHCo/BKL, Gielgud Theatre) 1994 * ''The Master Builder'' (Ibsen, trans. Hall/Ewbank, PHCo/BKL, Haymarket) 1995 * ''Julius Caesar'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1995 * ''Mind Millie for Me'' (Feydeau, trans. Hall/Frei, PHCo/BKL, Haymarket) 1996 * ''The Oedipus Plays'' (Sophocles, trans. Bolt, NT, Athens and Epidaurus) 1996 * ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' (Tennessee Williams, PHCo/BKL, Haymarket) 1997 * ''Waste'' (

Granville Barker Harley Granville-Barker (25 November 1877 – 31 August 1946) was an English actor, director, playwright, manager, critic, and theorist. After early success as an actor in the plays of George Bernard Shaw, he increasingly turned to directi ...

, PHCo, Old Vic) 1997 * ''The Seagull'' (Chekhov, trans. Stoppard, PHCo, Old Vic) 1997 * ''Waiting for Godot'' (Beckett, PHCo, Old Vic) 1997 * ''King Lear'' (Shakespeare, PHCo, Old Vic) 1997 * ''The School for Wives'' (Moliere, trans. Bolt, PHCo/BKL, Picadilly Theatre) 1997 * ''The Misanthrope'' (Moliere, trans. Bolt, PHCo/BKL, Piccadilly Theatre) 1998 * ''Major Barbara'' (

George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...

, PHCo/BKL, Piccadilly) 1998 * ''Filumena'' (de Fillipo, PHCo/BKL, Piccadilly) 1998 * ''

'' (Shaffer, PHCo, Old Vic and Broadway) 1998/9 * ''Kafka's Dick'' (

Alan Bennett Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. Over his distinguished entertainment career he has received numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and tw ...

, PHCo/BKL Piccadilly) 1998 * ''Measure for Measure'' (Shakespeare, Center Theater Group, Los Angeles) 1999 * ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (Shakespeare, Center Theater Group, LA) 1999 * ''Lenny'' (Julian Barry, PHCo, Queen's Theatre) 1999 * ''Cuckoos'' (Manfredi, trans. Teevan, PHCo, Gate Theatre) 2000 * ''Tantalus'' (John Barton, world premiere, RSC/Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver, UK tour and Barbican) 2000/1 * ''Romeo and Juliet'' (Shakespeare, Center Theater Group, LA) 2001 * ''Japes'' (Simon Gray, world premiere, PHCo, Haymarket) 2001 * ''Troilus and Cressida'' (Shakespeare, Theatre for a New Audience, off-Broadway) 2001 * ''Otello'' (Verdi, Glyndebourne and Lyric Opera, Chicago) 2001 * ''The Royal Family'' (Ferber, PHCo, Haymarket) 2001 * ''Lady Windermere's Fan'' (Wilde, PHCo, Haymarket) 2002 * ''The Bacchai'' (Euripides, trans. Teevan, NT and Epidaurus) 2002 * ''Albert Herring'' (Britten, Glyndebourne) 2002 * ''Mrs Warren's Profession'' (Shaw, PHCo, Strand Theatre) 2002 * ''Where There's a Will'' (Feydeau, trans. Frei, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath) 2003 * ''Betrayal'' (Pinter, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath, UK tour and West End) 2003 * ''Design for Living'' (Coward, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath and UK tour) 2003 * ''As You Like It'' (Shakespeare, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath, UK and US tour) 2003/4 * ''Le Nozze di Figaro'' (Mozart, Lyric Opera Chicago) 2003 * ''Happy Days'' (Beckett, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath and Arts Theatre) 2003 * ''Man and Superman'' (Shaw, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath) 2004 * ''Gallileo's Daughter'' (

Timberlake Wertenbaker Timberlake Wertenbaker is a British-based playwright, screenplay writer, and translator who has written plays for the Royal Court, the Royal Shakespeare Company and others. She has been described in ''The Washington Post'' as "the doyenne of po ...

, world premiere, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath) 2004 * ''

The Dresser ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' ( Harwood, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath, UK tour and West End) 2004 * ''Whose Life is it Anyway?'' (Brian Clark, PHCo/Sonia Friedman Productions, Duke of York's) 2005 * ''La Cenerentola'' (

Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...

, Glyndebourne) 2005 * ''Much Ado About Nothing'' (Shakespeare, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath) 2005 * ''You Never Can Tell'' (Shaw, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath and West End) 2005 * '' Waiting for Godot'' ( Beckett, 50th anniversary production, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath, UK tour and West End) 2005/6 * ''A Midsummer Marriage'' (Tippett, Lyric Opera Chicago) 2005 * ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' (Wilde, Los Angeles and New York) 2006 * ''Hay Fever'' (Coward, PHCo/Bill Kenwright Ltd, Haymarket) 2006 * ''Measure for Measure'' (Shakespeare, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath) 2006 * ''Habeas Corpus'' (Alan Bennett, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath and UK tour) 2006 * ''

Amy's View ''Amy's View'' is a play written by British playwright David Hare. It premiered in London at the Royal National Theatre's Lyttelton Theatre on 13 June 1997, directed by Richard Eyre and starring Judi Dench, Ronald Pickup and Samantha Bond in ...

'' (

David Hare David Hare may refer to: *David Hare (philanthropist) (1775–1842), Scottish philanthropist *David Hare (artist) (1917–1992), American sculptor and photographer *David Hare (playwright) (born 1947), English playwright and theatre and film direc ...

, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath, UK tour and West End) 2006 * ''Old Times'' (Pinter, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath and UK tour) 2007 * ''Little Nell'' (Simon Gray, world premiere, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath) 2007 * ''Pygmalion'' (Shaw, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath and Old Vic) 2007/8 * ''The Vortex'' (Coward, PHCo/BKL, Windsor, UK tour and West End) 2007/8 * ''Uncle Vanya'' (Chekhov, trans. Mulrine, English Touring Theatre, Rose Kingston and UK tour) 2008 * ''The Portrait of a Lady'' (

Henry James Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

, adapted by Frei, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath and Rose Kingston) 2008 * ''A Doll's House'' (Ibsen, trans. Mulrine, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath and Rose Kingston) 2008 * ''Love's Labours Lost'' (Shakespeare, Rose Kingston) 2008 * ''The Browning Version'' (Rattigan, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath and UK tour) 2009 * ''The Apple Cart'' (Shaw, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath) 2009 * ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' (Shakespeare, PHCo, Rose Kingston) 2010 * ''Bedroom Farce'' (Ayckbourn, PHCo/BKL, Rose Kingston and West End) 2010 * ''The Rivals'' (Sheridan, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath, UK tour and West End) 2010 * ''Twelfth Night'' (Shakespeare, NT) 2011 * ''Henry IV Parts 1'' and ''2'' (Shakespeare, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath) 2011

Film and television

Hall published a complete list of his films in his autobiography: * ''

Work Is a Four-Letter Word ''Work Is a Four-Letter Word'' (also known as ''Work Is a 4-Letter Word'') is a 1968 British satirical comedy film directed by Peter Hall and starring David Warner and Cilla Black, in her only acting role in a cinematic film. The film was not we ...

'' (1968) * ''

'' (1968) * '' Three into Two Won't Go'' (1969) * ''

Perfect Friday ''Perfect Friday'' is a British bank heist film released in 1970, directed by Peter Hall. It stars Ursula Andress as Lady Britt Dorset, Stanley Baker as Mr Graham, David Warner as Lord Nicholas Dorset and T. P. McKenna as Smith. Plot Mr. Graha ...

'' (1970) * ''

'' (1973) * ''

'' (1974) * ''

When Mother Went on Strike ''When Mother Went on Strike'' (german: Als Mutter streikte) is a 1974 West German comedy film directed by Eberhard Schröder and starring Peter Hall, Gila von Weitershausen and Belinda Mayne.Bock & Bergfelder, p.442 It was based on the 1970 nov ...

'' (1974) * ''

'' TV (presenter: 1975–1976) * ''

'' (BBC Films, 1989: wins two awards at the

) * ''

'' (Channel 4 TV mini-series, 1992) * ''

Jacob Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...

'' (TV movie, 1994) * ''

'' (1995) * ''

The Final Passage ''The Final Passage'' is Caryl Phillips's debut novel. First published in 1985, it is about the Caribbean diaspora exemplified in the lives of a young family from a small island of the British West Indies who decide to join the 1950s exodus to ...

'' (Channel 4 TV, 1996)

Books

* ''The Wars of the Roses'' (with John Barton: BBC Books) 1970 * ''John Gabriel Borkman'' (Ibsen, trans. with

Inga-Stina Ewbank Inga-Stina Ewbank SBS (13 June 1932 – 7 June 2004) was a Swedish-born academic and educator in Great Britain, Munich, Hong Kong and the United States, as well as an author and translator. She is believed to have been to date the only holder of ...

: Athlone Press) 1975 * ''Peter Hall's Diaries: the Story of a Dramatic Battle'' (ed.

: Hamish Hamilton) 1983; reissued (Oberon Books) 2000 * ''Animal Farm'' (stage adaptation of

's novel: Heinemann Press/Methuen) 1986 * ''The Wild Duck'' (

, trans. with

: Absolute Classics) 1990 * ''Making An Exhibition of Myself'' (autobiography: Sinclair-Stevenson Ltd) 1993; updated (Oberon Books) 2000 * ''An Absolute Turkey'' (

Georges Feydeau Georges-Léon-Jules-Marie Feydeau (; 8 December 1862 – 5 June 1921) was a French playwright of the era known as the Belle Époque. He is remembered for his farces, written between 1886 and 1914. Feydeau was born in Paris to middle-class parent ...

, trans. with Nicki Frei: Oberon Books) 1994 * ''The Master Builder'' (Ibsen, trans. with Inga-Stina Ewbank) 1995 * ''The Necessary Theatre'' (Nick Hern Books) 1990 * ''Exposed by the Mask: Form and Language in Drama'' (Oberon Books) 2000 * ''Shakespeare's Advice to the Players'' (Oberon Books) 2003

References

External links

The Company: A Biographical Dictionary of the RSC: Online database

Peter Hall
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

* * *
Peter Hall
video a
Web of Stories

5 November 1987 (about opera)
Parliament & the Sixties- Peter Hall- 1967 Theatre Censorship – UK Parliament Living Heritage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Peter 1930 births 2017 deaths Alumni of St Catharine's College, Cambridge British opera directors Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Drama Desk Award winners English atheists English film directors English television directors English theatre directors Knights Bachelor Laurence Olivier Award winners Opera managers People associated with Kingston University People educated at The Perse School People from Bury St Edmunds Tony Award winners People from Great Shelford Deaths from pneumonia in England

Early life and career

Royal Shakespeare Company

At the National Theatre

Later theatre career

Opera

Film and TV

Acting

Books

Awards

Personal life

Death and legacy

Selected works

Stage productions

Film and television

Books

References

Further reading

External links