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

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

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

Royal National Theatre The National Theatre (NT), officially the Royal National Theatre and sometimes referred to in international contexts as the National Theatre of Great Britain, is a performing arts venue and associated theatre company located in London, England, ...

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 recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...

, recognising 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 writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

with the UK premiere of ''

Waiting for Godot ''Waiting for Godot'' ( or ) is a 1953 play by Irish writer and playwright Samuel Beckett, in which the two main characters, Vladimir (Waiting for Godot), Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), engage in a variety of discussions and encounters w ...

''. 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 opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

and was its director from 1960 to 1968. He 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 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

Bury St Edmunds Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as ''Bury,'' is a cathedral as well as market town and civil parish in the West Suffolk District, West Suffolk district, in the county of Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St. Edmunds an ...

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

, 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

Shelford railway station Shelford railway station is on the West Anglia Main Line serving the villages of Great Shelford, Little Shelford and Stapleford, Cambridgeshire, Stapleford in Cambridgeshire, England. It is down the line from Liverpool Street station, London L ...

. He won a scholarship to

The Perse School The Perse School is a Private schools in the United Kingdom, private school (English Private schools in the United Kingdom, fee-charging Day school, day and, in the case of the Perse, a former boarding school) in Cambridge, England. Founded i ...

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

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

, Hall did his

National Service National service is a system of compulsory or 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 ...

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 Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club (CUADC) 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 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 (1974 TV series), Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ...

and Billie Whitelaw.

Eileen Atkins Dame Eileen June Atkins (born 15 June 1934) is an English actress. 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 Award for Outstanding Supporting ...

and

Maggie Smith Dame Margaret Natalie Smith (28 December 1934 – 27 September 2024) was a British actress. Known for her wit in both comedic and dramatic roles, she had List of Maggie Smith performances, an extensive career on stage and screen for over seve ...

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 ''

'' in 1955. The production's success transformed his career overnight and attracted the attention of, among others,

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 three ...

, for whom he would direct the London premieres of '' Camino Real'' (1957) and '' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' (1958), and

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

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

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

Royal Shakespeare Company

Hall made his debut at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in

Stratford-upon-Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands region of Engl ...

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 Queen Elizabeth I. It follows the King of Navarre and his three companions as ...

'': 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 concer ...

'' 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. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

, and ''

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

'' with Charles Laughton. In 1960, aged 29, Hall succeeded Glen Byam Shaw as director of the theatre, and expanded operations to be all-year. He 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 played in Stratford and expanded into the Aldwych Theatre, 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 Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

'' (1965, with David Warner), ''The Government Inspector'' (1966, with

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

), the world premiere of Harold Pinter's '' The Homecoming'' (1965), and ''

The Wars of the Roses The Wars of the Roses, known at the time and in following centuries as the Civil Wars, were a series of armed confrontations, machinations, battles and campaigns fought over control of the English throne from 1455 to 1487. The conflict was f ...

'' (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, Mai ...

to the new purpose-built complex on London's South Bank "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 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'' (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 Britis ...

and Ralph Richardson) and '' Betrayal'' (1978), Peter Shaffer's '' Amadeus'' (1979, with

and Simon Callow), and the London and Broadway premieres of Alan Ayckbourn's '' Bedroom Farce''. Other landmark productions included '' The Oresteia'' (in a version by Tony Harrison 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 '' T ...

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

Epidaurus Epidaurus () 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 new municipality of Epi ...

, ''

Animal Farm ''Animal Farm'' (originally ''Animal Farm: A Fairy Story'') is a satirical allegorical novella, in the form of a beast fable, by George Orwell, first published in England on 17 August 1945. It tells the story of a group of anthropomorphic far ...

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

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed around 1607, by the King's Men at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre. Its first appearance in print was in the First Folio published ...

'' with

Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...

and

Anthony Hopkins Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins (born 31 December 1937) is a Welsh actor. Considered one of Britain's most recognisable and prolific actors, he is known for List of Anthony Hopkins performances, his performances on the screen and stage. Hopkins ha ...

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

'' 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 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, ...

, played

Viola The viola ( , () ) is a string instrument of the violin family, and is usually bowed when played. Violas are slightly larger than violins, and have a lower and deeper sound. Since the 18th century, it has been the middle or alto voice of the ...

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

). The Peter Hall Company went on to stage more than sixty plays in association with a number of producing partners including Bill Kenwright and Thelma Holt. In addition to an ensemble repertory season at the

(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'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

's '' An Ideal Husband'' (1992), Pam Gems' '' Piaf'' (with

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

, 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 (film), The Hours'', Stannis Baratheon in the HBO fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'' (2012–2015) and T ...

, 1994),

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

'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 Cinema of the United Kingdom#The 1960s, 1960s, when he appeared in films ranging from ''Whistle Down the Wind (film), Whistle Down ...

, 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 pe ...

'' (with

Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles Jessica Lange on screen and stage, on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominati ...

, 1996), Julian Barry's ''Lenny'' (with Eddie Izzard, 1999), ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, 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 Wil ...

'' (with

and Dan Stevens, 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 rhinitis, inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. It is classified as a Allergy, type I hypersensitivity re ...

'' (with

, 2006) and Shaw's '' Pygmalion'' (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 of H ...

'' 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.Druckma ...

'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 ...

, 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/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

" 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 Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

'', 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 The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

, including the

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

in New York, Houston Grand Opera, Los Angeles Opera,

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is an American opera company based in Chicago, Illinois. The company was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox (Chicago opera), Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, w ...

and the

Bayreuth Festival The Bayreuth Festival () is a music festival held annually in Bayreuth, Germany, at which performances of stage works by the 19th-century German composer Richard Wagner are presented. Wagner himself conceived and promoted the idea of a special ...

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 . The compo ...

'') 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 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 ...

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 Cro ...

'' by Benjamin Britten, Cavalli's '' La Calisto'', Monteverdi's '' Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria'' and Gluck's '' Orfeo ed Euridice'' (all with Janet Baker); ''

L'incoronazione di Poppea ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' (Stattkus-Verzeichnis, SV 308, ''The Coronation of Poppaea'') is an Italian List of operas by Claudio Monteverdi, opera by Claudio Monteverdi. It was Monteverdi's last opera, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Buse ...

'' 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 novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

'' – both with his then wife, Maria Ewing, with whom he also staged a celebrated ''

Salome Salome (; , related to , "peace"; ), also known as Salome III, was a Jews, Jewish princess, the daughter of Herod II and princess Herodias. She was granddaughter of Herod the Great and stepdaughter of Herod Antipas. She is known from the New T ...

'' (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'' (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, Film director, director and screenwriter. In 2006 Gerard Gilbert of ''The Independent'' described him as the UK's "pre-eminent TV dramatist" and that he had "inherited Dennis Po ...

and starred Peggy Ashcroft and Geraldine James who both won awards for their performances at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

. Hall also directed '' The Camomile Lawn'' and '' The Final Passage'' for

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

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 a Swiss actor. Born in First Austrian Republic, Austria, his parents were involved in the arts and he grew up surrounded by performance and literature. While he was still a child, his fa ...

, 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 (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 in 1977 for his services to the theatre. He was awarded the Chevalier de L'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1965), received the Shakespeare Prize (1967) and was elected Member of the

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

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 a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

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. He was Chancellor of

Kingston University Kingston University London is a Public university, public research university located within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, in South London, South West London, England. Its roots go back to the Kingston Technical Institute, founded ...

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

University of Houston The University of Houston (; ) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas, United States. It was established in 1927 as Houston Junior College, a coeducational institution and one of multiple junior colleges formed in ...

(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 ...

, and a daughter, Jennifer. With his second wife, Jacqueline Taylor, he had a son,

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

, and a daughter. Hall married American opera singer Maria Ewing in 1982, with whom he had one daughter,

Rebecca Rebecca () appears in the Hebrew Bible as the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob and Esau. According to biblical tradition, Rebecca's father was Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram, also called Aram-Naharaim. Rebecca's brother was Laban (Bi ...

. He was lastly married to Nicki Frei; the couple had one daughter, Emma. 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 syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...

in 2011 and retired from public life. Hall was described by '' Guardian'' contributor Mark Lawson 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 Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

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 Lo ...

, 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 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 Honours ...

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".

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 Samuel Alexander Joseph West (born 19 June 1966) is an English actor, theatre director, and narrator. He has directed on stage and radio, and worked as an actor in theatre, film, television, and radio. West was nominated for the BAFTA Award f ...

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 a British trade association for West End theatre in London. It was founded in 1908 as Society of West End Theatre Managers, becoming the Society of West End Theatre in 1975, and then changing to its curren ...

, 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, 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 Ba ...

'' ( O'Neill, Arts Theatre) 1955 * ''

'' ( 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'' (

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

Colette Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette (; 28 January 1873 – 3 August 1954), known as Colette or Colette Willy, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a Mime artist, mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaki ...

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

'', 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; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works " The Nose", " Viy", "The Overcoat", and " Nevsky Prosp ...

, RSC, Aldwych) 1966 * ''

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...

'' (

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

, 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 (play), The Sandbox'' (1959), ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (1962), ''A Delicat ...

, 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 ''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' (, Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: Евгеній Онѣгинъ, романъ въ стихахъ, ) is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin. ''Onegin'' is considered a classic of ...

'' ( Tchaikovsky, Royal Opera House) 1971 * '' Old Times'' (Harold Pinter, world premiere, RSC Aldwych) 1971 * ''

Tristan und Isolde ''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is a music drama in three acts by Richard Wagner set to a German libretto by the composer, loosely based on the medieval 12th-century romance ''Tristan and Iseult'' by Gottfried von Stras ...

'' (

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

, 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 MacDermot, New York) 1972 * ''

Le Nozze di Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna ...

'' (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, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...

, 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 ( ; Baptism, baptised 26 February 156430 May 1593), also known as Kit Marlowe, was an English playwright, poet, and translator of the Elizabethan era. Marlowe is among the most famous of the English Renaissance theatre, Eli ...

, official opening of the Olivier, NT) 1976 * '' Bedroom Farce'' (Ayckbourn, also co-director, London and US premieres, NT and Broadway) 1977 * ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...

'' (Mozart, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1977 * ''Volpone'' (

Ben Jonson Benjamin Jonson ( 11 June 1572 – ) was an English playwright, poet and actor. Jonson's artistry exerted a lasting influence on English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours; he is best known for the satire, satirical ...

, NT) 1977 * ''The Country Wife'' ( Wycherley, NT) 1977 * ''

Così fan tutte (''Women are like that, or The School for Lovers''), Köchel catalogue, K. 588, is an opera buffa in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It was first performed on 26 January 1790 at the Burgtheater in Vienna, Austria. The libretto was written ...

'' (Mozart, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1978 * ''The Cherry Orchard'' (Chekhov, NT) 1978 * ''Macbeth'' (Shakespeare, NT) 1978 * '' Betrayal'' (Pinter, world premiere, NT) 1978 * ''

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...

'' (

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1979 * '' Amadeus'' (Peter Shaffer, world premiere, NT) 1979 * ''Othello'' (Shakespeare, NT) 1980 * ''

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

Aeschylus Aeschylus (, ; ; /524 – /455 BC) was an ancient Greece, ancient Greek Greek tragedy, tragedian often described as the father of tragedy. Academic knowledge of the genre begins with his work, and understanding of earlier Greek tragedy is large ...

, trans. Harrison, NT and Epidaurus) 1981 * '' Orfeo ed Euridice'' (

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. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire at ...

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

Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...

'' ( Verdi, Metropolitan Opera, New York) 1982 * ''Other Places'' (Pinter, world premiere, NT) 1982 * ''

'' (Wagner, Bayreuth Festival Opera) 1983 * '' Jean Seberg'' (lyrics by Christopher Adler, book by Julian Barry, music by

Marvin Hamlisch Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. He is one of a handful of people to win Emmy Awards, Emmy, Grammy Awards, Grammy, Academy Awards, Oscar, and Tony Awards, Tony awards, a feat ...

, NT) 1983 * ''

'' (

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...

, adapted by Hall, NT) 1984 * ''Coriolanus'' (Shakespeare, NT and Athens) 1984 * ''

'' (Monteverdi, Glyndebourne Festival Opera) 1984 * ''Yonadab'' (Shaffer, world premiere, NT) 1985 * ''

'' ( Bizet, Glyndebourne) 1985 * ''

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

'' ( Strauss, 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 * '' Orpheus Descending'' (

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

, PHCo/BKL, Queen's Theatre) 1993 * ''Piaf'' (Pam Gems, PHCo/BKL, Piccadilly Theatre) 1993 * ''An Absolute Turkey'' ( Feydeau, trans. Hall/Frei, PHCo/BKL, Thorndike Theatre) 1993 * ''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 * ''The School for Wives'' (Moliere, trans. Bolt, PHCo/BKL, Picadilly Theatre) 1996 * ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' (Tennessee Williams, PHCo/BKL, Haymarket) 1996 * ''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 * ''Just the Three of Us'' ( Simon Gray, PHCo/BKL, Theatre Royal, Windsor) * ''

The Misanthrope ''The Misanthrope, or the Cantankerous Lover'' (; ) is a 17th-century comedy of manners in verse written by Molière. It was first performed on 4 June 1666 at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal (rue Saint-Honoré), Théâtre du Palais-Royal, Paris by ...

'' (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 as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from the 188 ...

, 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, 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 * ''

'' ( Beckett, 50th anniversary production, PHCo/Theatre Royal Bath, UK tour and West End) 2005/6 * '' The 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 ...

'' ( David Hare, 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'' (1968) * ''

'' (1968) * '' Three into Two Won't Go'' (1969) * '' Perfect Friday'' (1970) * '' The Homecoming'' (1973) * '' Akenfield'' (1974) * '' When Mother Went on Strike'' (1974) * '' Aquarius'' TV (presenter: 1975–1976) * '' She's Been Away'' (BBC Films, 1989: wins two awards at the

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

Jacob Jacob, later known as Israel, is a Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions. He first appears in the Torah, where he is described in the Book of Genesis as a son of Isaac and Rebecca. Accordingly, alongside his older fraternal twin brother E ...

'' (TV movie, 1994) * '' Never Talk to Strangers'' (1995) * '' The Final Passage'' (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. John Goodwin: 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 The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking 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 Military personnel from Bury St Edmunds 20th-century Royal Air Force personnel Royal Air Force airmen 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 British 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 Shakespearean directors

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