Sir Peter Reginald Frederick Hall CBE (22 November 1930 11 September 2017) was an English theatre, opera and film director. His obituary in '' The Times'' 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 (19841990). He formed the Peter Hall Company (19982011) and became founding director of the Rose Theatre Kingston 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 Station. He won a scholarship to The Perse School in Cambridge. Before taking up a further scholarship to read English at St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, Hall did his National Service in Germany at the RAF Headquarters for Education in Bückeburg. 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, at The Theatre Royal Windsor. In 1954 and 1955, Hall was the director of the Oxford Playhouse where he directed several later prominent young actors including Ronnie Barker 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 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 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, for whom he would direct the London premieres of ''

Camino Real Camino may refer to: Places *Camino, California, United States, a census-designated place *Camino, Piedmont, Italy, a town *Camino, Veneto, Italy, a town People *Jaime Camino (1936–2015), Spanish film director and screenwriter *Renae Camino ...

'' (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'' by Jean Anouilh.

Royal Shakespeare Company

Hall made his debut at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in

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'' with Peggy Ashcroft as Imogen, '' Coriolanus'' 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 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, its first London home. Hall's many productions for the RSC included '' Hamlet'' (1965, with David Warner), ''The Government Inspector'' (1966, with Paul Scofield), the world premiere of Harold Pinter's '' The Homecoming'' (1965) and '' The Wars of the Roses'' (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 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'' 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 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'' (1978), Peter Shaffer's '' Amadeus'' (1979, with Paul Scofield and Simon Callow), 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'' (in a version by Tony Harrison with music by Harrison Birtwistle, 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 and Anthony Hopkins (1987). Hall returned to the NT for the last time in 2011 with a production of '' Twelfth Night'' mounted by the company to celebrate his eightieth birthday. His daughter, Rebecca Hall, played Viola 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 of Tennessee Williams' '' Orpheus Descending'' (with Vanessa Redgrave) and ''The Merchant of Venice'' (with Dustin Hoffman). 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. In addition to an ensemble repertory season at the Old Vic (1997), the company enjoyed a long collaboration with the Theatre Royal, Bath 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' '' Piaf'' (with Elaine Paige, 1993), ''Hamlet'' (with Stephen Dillane, 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'' (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'' (with Jessica Lange, 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, 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 Rebecca Hall 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, 2005), the fiftieth anniversary production of ''Waiting for Godot'', Coward'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 Judi Dench, 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 and Michelle Dockery, 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 Part Two, Part 2 or Part II may refer to: Films and television * "Part 2" (Twin Peaks), also known as "The Return, Part 2", the second episode of the third season of the TV series ''Twin Peaks'' Music * ''Part Two'' (Throbbing Gristle album), 200 ...

'' (2011), staged at the Theatre Royal Bath. Hall directed extensively in the United States including the world premiere of John Guare's ''Four Baboons Adoring the Sun'' ( Lincoln Center, 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. 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.Christiansen, Rupert. Peter Hall, 1930-2017. '' Opera'', 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'' 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, including the Metropolitan Opera 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 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'') 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'' (1970) and '' New Year'' (1989). He had a close relationship with the Glyndebourne Festival 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'' by Benjamin Britten, Cavalli's '' La Calisto'', 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); '' L'incoronazione di Poppea'' 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, 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'' 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'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'' 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 Peggy Ashcroft and Geraldine James who both won awards for their performances at the Venice Film Festival. Hall also directed '' The Camomile Lawn'' and ''The Final Passage'' for Channel 4 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'', "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'' for London Weekend Television. In 2005 he was the subject of a two-hour documentary for '' The South Bank Show'', ''Peter Hall, Fifty Years in Theatre''.

Acting

Hall began acting as a student at Cambridge University, where Dadie Rylands taught him to speak Shakespearean verse. He was also influenced in his understanding of Shakespeare by the literary critic and teacher F. R. Leavis. 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 CBE 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 (1965), received the Hamburg University Shakespeare Prize (1967) and was elected Member of the Athens Academy for Services to Greek Drama (2004). His professional awards and nominations included two Tony Awards (''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. He was Chancellor of Kingston University (20002013), held the Wortham Chair in Performing Arts at the University of Houston (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, 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 (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 Maria Ewing 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 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, London, surrounded by family. He was 86 years old. His obituary in '' The Times'' 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 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 said: "Not only a thrilling director, he was the great impresario of the age." Richard Eyre 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 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 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 said: "Peter was a man for all seasons – he could play any part that was needed". Elaine Paige said: "Peter Hall had absolute authority and, as a heavyweight of the theatre, real presence." Griff Rhys Jones said: "Peter was an absolute smoothie, the most charming and diplomatic man" and Samuel West 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, 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'' ( W. Somerset Maugham, Theatre Royal Windsor) 1953 * ''Blood Wedding'' ( Lorca, London debut, Arts Theatre) 1954 * ''The Impresario from Smyrna'' ( Goldoni, Arts Theatre) 1954 * ''The Immoralist'' (

Gide Gide is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include: *André Gide (1869–1951), French author *Catherine Gide (1923–2013), French author and daughter of André Gide *Charles Gide (1847–1932), French economist and uncle of André ...

, 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'' (

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 * '' The Waltz of the Toreadors'' ( Jean Anouilh, English-language premiere, Arts Theatre) 1956 * ''Gigi'' ( Colette, New Theatre) 1956 * ''Love's Labours Lost'' (Shakespeare, Stratford-on-Avon) 1956 * ''The Gates of Summer'' ( John Whiting, New Theatre Oxford) 1956 * ''Camino Real'' ( Tennessee Williams, 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'' ( Tennessee Williams, 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 * '' The Wars of the Roses'' (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 Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...

, UK premiere, Royal Opera House) 1965 * ''Hamlet'' (Shakespeare, RSC) 1965 * ''The Government Inspector'' ( Gogol, 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 Tippett is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Andre Tippett (born 1959), American Hall of Fame footballer *Clark Tippet (1954–1992), American dancer *Dave Tippett (born 1961), ice hockey coach * Keith Tippett (born 1947), Eng ...

, 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, Royal Opera House) 1971 * '' Old Times'' (Harold Pinter, world premiere, RSC Aldwych) 1971 * ''Tristan und Isolde'' ( Wagner, Royal Opera House) 1971 * ''All Over'' (Edward Albee, RSC, Aldwych) 1972 * ''Il Ritorno d'Ulisse'' ( Monteverdi, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1972 * '' Via Galactica'' (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, 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 * '' Betrayal'' (Pinter, world premiere, NT) 1978 * ''Fidelio'' ( Beethoven, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1979 * '' Amadeus'' (Peter Shaffer, world premiere, NT) 1979 * ''Othello'' (Shakespeare, NT) 1980 * ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' ( Britten, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1981 * ''The Oresteia'' ( Aeschylus, trans. Harrison, NT and Epidaurus) 1981 * ''Orfeo et Eurydice'' ( Gluck, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1982 * ''The Importance of Being Earnest'' ( Wilde, NT) 1982 * ''Macbeth'' ( Verdi, Metropolitan Opera, New York) 1982 * ''Other Places'' (Pinter, world premiere, NT) 1982 * ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (Wagner, Bayreuth Festival Opera) 1983 * '' Jean Seberg'' (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, Glyndebourne) 1985 * ''Albert Herring'' (Britten, Glyndebourne) 1985 * ''The Petition'' (Brian Clark, NT) 1986 * ''Simon Boccanegra'' (Verdi, Glyndebourne) 1986 * ''Salome'' ( Strauss, LA Opera) 1986 * ''Coming in to Land'' (

Poliakoff Poliakoff is a surname, a variant of Polyakov. It may refer to: *Alexander Poliakoff, Russian-born British electronics engineer, inventor and businessman, father of Martyn and Stephen *Élie de Poliakoff, Russian-born equestrian *Joseph Poliakoff, R ...

, 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 * '' Orpheus Descending'' ( Tennessee Williams, Peter Hall Company, Haymarket and Broadway) 1988/9 * '' The Merchant of Venice'' (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) 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, 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, 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, PHCo/BKL, Piccadilly) 1998 * ''Filumena'' (de Fillipo, PHCo/BKL, Piccadilly) 1998 * '' Amadeus'' (Shaffer, PHCo, Old Vic and Broadway) 1998/9 * ''Kafka's Dick'' ( Alan Bennett, 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, world premiere, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath) 2004 * '' The Dresser'' ( 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'' (

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, 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'' (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) * '' The Homecoming'' (1973) * ''

'' (1974) * '' When Mother Went on Strike'' (1974) * '' Aquarius'' TV (presenter: 1975–1976) * '' She's Been Away'' (BBC Films, 1989: wins two awards at the Venice Film Festival) * '' The Camomile Lawn'' (Channel 4 TV mini-series, 1992) * '' Jacob'' (TV movie, 1994) * '' Never Talk to Strangers'' (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: 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 Inga-Stina Ewbank: Absolute Classics) 1990 * ''Making An Exhibition of Myself'' (autobiography: Sinclair-Stevenson Ltd) 1993; updated (Oberon Books) 2000 * ''An Absolute Turkey'' ( Georges Feydeau, 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 * * *
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