Peter Hall (director) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Hall
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Hall at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, 2011
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| Born |
Peter Reginald Frederick Hall
22 November 1930 Bury St Edmunds, West Suffolk, England
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| Died | 11 September 2017 (aged 86) London, England
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1953–2011 |
| Spouse(s) |
Jacqueline Taylor
(m. 1965; div. 1981)Nicki Frei
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 6; including Christopher, Jennifer, Edward and Rebecca |
Sir Peter Reginald Frederick Hall (born November 22, 1930 – died September 11, 2017) was a famous English director for theatre, opera, and films. Many people thought he was the most important person in British theatre for 50 years. After he passed away, the Royal National Theatre said his impact on British art in the 20th century was unmatched.
In 2018, the Laurence Olivier Awards, which celebrate achievements in London theatre, renamed their Best Director award to the Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director. Peter Hall was the person who started the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1960. He also led the National Theatre from 1973 to 1988. He was known for bringing new and exciting plays to audiences, like Waiting for Godot in 1955. Throughout his life, he strongly supported public funding for the arts.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Theatre
Peter Hall was born in Bury St Edmunds, England. His father worked at a train station. Peter was very smart and won scholarships to attend The Perse School and later Cambridge University.
At Cambridge, he loved theatre. He directed many plays and even acted in some. After finishing university in 1953, he directed his first professional play, The Letter. In 1954 and 1955, he directed plays at the Oxford Playhouse, helping young actors like Ronnie Barker and Billie Whitelaw get their start.
From 1955 to 1957, Peter Hall managed the Arts Theatre in London. There, he directed the first English performance of Waiting for Godot. This play was a huge success and made him famous overnight. He then directed plays for other well-known writers like Tennessee Williams and Harold Pinter.
Leading the Royal Shakespeare Company
In 1956, Peter Hall started working at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. He directed famous plays like Love's Labour's Lost and Coriolanus with Laurence Olivier.
In 1960, when he was just 29, Peter Hall became the director of the theatre. He had a big idea: he wanted to create a permanent group of actors, directors, and designers who would work together all year. This is how the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) was born. The RSC performed not only in Stratford but also in London at the Aldwych Theatre.
Some of his most famous productions for the RSC included Hamlet (1965) and The Homecoming (1965). He also adapted Shakespeare's history plays into a series called The Wars of the Roses (1963). This was seen as a very important Shakespearean event that showed how relevant these old plays still were. Peter Hall left the RSC in 1968 after almost ten years.
Directing the National Theatre
In 1973, Peter Hall was chosen to be the director of the National Theatre (NT). He led this important organization for 15 years. He oversaw the big move from the Old Vic theatre to the new, specially built complex on London's South Bank. This was a huge challenge, but he made it a great success.
He directed many plays for the NT. These included the first performances of Harold Pinter's No Man's Land (1975) and Betrayal (1978). He also directed Peter Shaffer's Amadeus (1979) and Alan Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce.
One special production was The Oresteia (1981), which was the first Greek play performed by a foreign company at the ancient theatre of Epidaurus. He also directed Animal Farm (1984) and Antony and Cleopatra with famous actors Judi Dench and Anthony Hopkins (1987).
Peter Hall returned to the National Theatre one last time in 2011 to direct Twelfth Night. This play celebrated his 80th birthday, and his daughter, Rebecca Hall, played a main role.
Later Theatre Work
After leaving the National Theatre in 1988, Peter Hall started his own theatre company. They put on many plays in London's West End and on Broadway in New York.
His company worked with the Theatre Royal, Bath for many years, putting on summer festivals. Many of these plays then went on tours around the UK and other countries. Some of the plays he directed during this time included Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband (1992), Hamlet (1994), and a 50th-anniversary production of Waiting for Godot (2005).
In 2003, Peter Hall became the founding director of The Rose Theatre in Kingston upon Thames. This new theatre was inspired by old Elizabethan theatre designs. He directed plays there, including Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and A Midsummer Night's Dream with Judi Dench.
Opera Direction
Peter Hall was also a very famous opera director. He directed his first opera in 1957. He was good at playing the piano, which helped him understand opera music.
He worked at many of the world's top opera houses, including the Royal Opera House in London and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. At the Bayreuth Festival in Germany, he directed Wagner's famous Der Ring des Nibelungen (Ring Cycle) in 1983.
He had a special connection with the Glyndebourne Festival, where he was the artistic director from 1984 to 1990. He directed more than 20 operas there, including many by Mozart. His production of Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream (1981) was so popular that it was performed many times over 35 years.
Film and Television Work
Peter Hall also directed films and TV shows. His films include Akenfield (1974), which was filmed in Suffolk with local people as actors. Another film, She's Been Away (1989), won awards at the Venice Film Festival.
For television, he directed the mini-series The Camomile Lawn (1992). In the 1970s, he also presented an arts program called Aquarius. In 2005, a two-hour documentary called Peter Hall, Fifty Years in Theatre was made about his life and work.
Acting Roles
Peter Hall started acting when he was a student at Cambridge University. He learned a lot about speaking Shakespearean lines. Later, in the 1970s, he acted in three German films, including The Pedestrian (1973).
Books by Peter Hall
Peter Hall wrote several books about theatre. These include The Necessary Theatre and Shakespeare's Advice to the Players. He also published The Peter Hall Diaries, which shared his experiences building the National Theatre. His autobiography, Making an Exhibition of Myself, was published in 1993.
Awards and Recognition
Peter Hall received many awards for his contributions to theatre. He was made a CBE in 1963 and was knighted in 1977, which means he became "Sir Peter Hall."
He won two Tony Awards for his Broadway productions of The Homecoming and Amadeus. In 2005, he was welcomed into the American Theater Hall of Fame. He also received honorary degrees from many universities.
Personal Life
Peter Hall was married four times and had six children and nine grandchildren. Many of his children followed in his footsteps and worked in the arts.
He worked with all his children on different projects. His daughter Jennifer acted in The Tempest (1988). His daughter Rebecca acted in The Camomile Lawn when she was nine, and later in many plays for his company and the National Theatre, including Twelfth Night (2011). His daughter Lucy designed costumes and sets for some of his plays. His sons Christopher and Edward also worked on his film and theatre projects.
Peter Hall retired from public life in 2011 due to health reasons.
Death and Lasting Impact
Peter Hall passed away on September 11, 2017, at the age of 86. He died from pneumonia in London.
Many important people in British theatre shared their sadness and respect for him. Nicholas Hytner said that without Peter Hall, there would be no Royal Shakespeare Company. Trevor Nunn called him "the great impresario of the age," which means he was a brilliant organizer of shows. Richard Eyre said Peter was the "godfather" of British theatre, meaning he was a very important and influential figure.
Peter Brook said Peter Hall was "a man for all seasons," meaning he could do anything needed. Many people remembered his energy, imagination, and his strong belief in supporting the arts for everyone.
In April 2018, the Laurence Olivier Awards changed the name of their Best Director award to the Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director, honoring his incredible legacy in theatre.
Images for kids
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Hall at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards, 2011
See also
In Spanish: Peter Hall para niños
