Edward Hall (born 27 November 1966) is an English theatre and film director who founded the all-male Propeller Shakespeare company of which he is Artistic Director, in 1997. He also became Artistic Director of Hampstead Theatre in 2010. He is known for directing Shakespeare productions, musicals such as ''

Sunny Afternoon "Sunny Afternoon" is a song by the Kinks, written by Ray Davies and released as a single in June 1966. The track was included on the '' Face to Face'' album released in late October, and served as the title track for a 1967 compilation album. L ...

'' and multiple screen productions, including

William Boyd William, Willie, Will or Bill Boyd may refer to: Academics * William Boyd (educator) (1874–1962), Scottish educator * William Boyd (pathologist) (1885–1979), Scottish-Canadian professor and author * William Alexander Jenyns Boyd (1842–1928), ...

's TV adaptation of ''Restless''.

Career

Hall began his professional career as a theatre director at the

Watermill Theatre The Watermill Theatre is a producing theatre in Bagnor, Berkshire. It opened in 1967 in Bagnor Mill, a converted watermill on the River Lambourn. As a producing house, the theatre has staged works that have subsequently moved on to the West E ...

in the early 1990s. At the Watermill, Hall directed a number of Shakespeare plays, including ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...

'' and ''

The Comedy of Errors ''The Comedy of Errors'' is one of William Shakespeare's early plays. It is his shortest and one of his most farcical comedies, with a major part of the humour coming from slapstick and mistaken identity, in addition to puns and word play ...

''. In 1996 he directed

Donald Sinden Sir Donald Alfred Sinden (9 October 1923 – 12 September 2014) was an English actor. Sinden featured in the film ''Mogambo'' (1953), and achieved early fame as a Rank Organisation film star in the 1950s in films including '' The Cruel Sea'' ( ...

, Patrick Ryecart and

Nigel Davenport Arthur Nigel Davenport (23 May 1928 – 25 October 2013) was an English stage, television and film actor, best known as the Duke of Norfolk and Lord Birkenhead in the Academy Award-winning films '' A Man for All Seasons'' and ''Chariots of Fir ...

in a UK tour of N. J. Crisp's drama '' That Good Night''. In 2002, Hall directed ''Rose Rage'', an adaptation of all three of

Shakespeare's William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

'' Henry VI'' plays, at the

Haymarket Theatre The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre in Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in ...

. It was described by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' as "an exhilaratingly surreal and bloody take on

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

.""The Directors" 6 July 2002. Although he has for the most part worked in the theatre, Hall has directed some radio and television programmes including ''Into Exile'' for

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

Radio 4 and episodes of '' Trial and Retribution'' and '' Marple'' for television. He directed the 2012 two-part TV miniseries ''

Restless Restless or The Restless may refer to: Film and television * ''Restless'' (1998 film), a Chinese-American romance film * ''Restless'' (2000 film), a Finnish romantic film * ''The Restless'' (2006 film), a South Korean fantasy film * ''Restless'' ...

''. Hall took over as Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive of the

Hampstead Theatre Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in South Hampstead, in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. History The original ''Hampstead Theatre Clu ...

in February 2010 stepping down in Spring 2019.

Personal life

Hall is the son of the theatre director Sir Peter Hall and his second wife, Jacqueline Taylor. He has several siblings and half siblings and is half-brother of actresses

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

and Jennifer Caron Hall and producer Christopher Hall. Hall studied at

Leeds University The University of Leeds is a public research university in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was established in 1874 as the Yorkshire College of Science. In 1884, it merged with the Leeds School of Medicine (established 1831) and was renamed ...

and Mountview Theatre School. He is married to Issy van Randwyck, a Dutch comedian and actress, with whom he has two daughters.

Selected theatre work

Director

*'' Victoria Station'' (Theatr Mwldan, Wales) *''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of middle-aged couple Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they rece ...

'' (Theatre Royal Windsor and tour) *''

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 ...

'' ( Theatre Royal Windsor and tour) *''Decadence'' (Bratislava and Oslo Nye Theatre) *''Chambers of Glass'' (Minerva Studio, Chichester) *''Cain'' (Minerva Studio, Chichester) *''Lysistrata'' (West End, Richmond Theatre and Epidavros) *''Bare-Knuckle Selling'' (Edinburgh Festival) *''No Remission'' (Edinburgh Festival – Mobil Prizewinner) *''The Hanuman'' (RNT Studio) *''

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

'' (Tokyo, Globe) *''

Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...

'' (Watermill, Newbury, and world tour) *''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunke ...

'' (Old Vic and world tour) *''

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 entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' (Old Vic and world tour) *'' That Good Night'' ( Marc Sinden Productions tour) *''Celaine'' (Hampstead) *''Sacred Heart'' (Royal Court Upstairs) *''Tantalus'' (Co-director: Denver Theatre Company and UK tour) *''

The Two Gentlemen of Verona ''The Two Gentlemen of Verona'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1589 and 1593. It is considered by some to be Shakespeare's first play, and is often seen as showing his first ten ...

'' (

RSC RSC may refer to: Arts * Royal Shakespeare Company, a British theatre company * Reduced Shakespeare Company, a touring American acting troupe * Richmondshire Subscription Concerts, a music society in Richmond, North Yorkshire, England * Rock Ste ...

) *''

'' (

) *''

Chariots of Fire ''Chariots of Fire'' is a 1981 historical drama, historical Sports film, sports drama film directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland and produced by David Puttnam. It is based on the true story of two British athletes in the 1924 Summer ...

'' (Hampstead Theatre) *''

'' (Hampstead Theatre)

Assistant director

*''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'' in New York (Chichester Festival Theatre) *''Venus Observed'' (Chichester Festival Theatre) *''The Sisterhood'' (Chichester Festival Theatre) *'' Arsenic and Old Lace'' (Chichester Festival Theatre) *''

She Stoops to Conquer ''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays ...

'' (Chichester Festival Theatre) *''Preserving Mr Panmure'' (Chichester Festival Theatre) *''I Thought I Heard a Rustling'' (Theatre Royal Stratford East) *''

'' (

world tour) *''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...

'' (

world tour) *''Lysistrata'' (RSC)

Filmography

*''

'' 2012 two-part TV miniseries *''Kingdom'' (TV series) *''Trial & Retribution XI: Closure'' (TV movie) *''Marple: Sleeping Murder'' (TV movie) *''Safari Strife'' (Cutting Edge) *''Richard III'' (NHK Japan) *''

Blithe Spirit Blithe Spirit may refer to: * ''Blithe Spirit'' (play), a 1941 comic play written by Noël Coward * ''Blithe Spirit'' (1945 film), a British comedy film based on the play * Blithe Spirit (''Ford Star Jubilee''), a 1956 television play version of ...

'' (Theatrical film)

References

External links

*
British Theatre Guide biographyEdward Hall talks about
directing the all-male Shakespeare Company Propeller o
The Interview Online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Edward 1966 births English television directors English theatre directors Living people Theatre people from London Alumni of the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts Alumni of the University of Leeds