Peter Hall
Peter Hall was a British director of theatre and opera known for guiding several large theatre companies during his lengthy and distinguished career.
Introduction
Peter Hall was a British director of theatre and opera known for guiding several large theatre companies during his lengthy and distinguished career. Hall was born in Suffolk to Reginald Edward Arthur Hall, a stationmaster, and Grace Florence. He was an only child. Hall married four times and had six children, including the stage and film actress Rebecca Hall.
Key Dates & Events
- 1955 - Hall directs the first English-language production of Beckett's Waiting for Godot
- 1960 - Hall takes over the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre and transforms it into the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC)
- 1973 - Hall becomes the director of the National Theatre
- 1977 - Hall is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
- 1988 - Hall establishes his own production company on the West End in London
Context & Analysis
Education & Influences
For a time in his childhood, Hall lived in the Great Shelford Station due to his father’s work as a stationmaster. As a youngster, Hall was able to ride the rails for free (again due to his father’s job) and took advantage of this opportunity, taking the train to see plays at various famous theatres across England. His parents supported his
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Guides
Writer Guides:
Show Guides:
- Waiting for Godot
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
- Love’s Labour’s Lost
- Coriolanus
- Richard III
- The Homecoming
- Amadeus
- Antony and Cleopatra
- The Merchant of Venice
- A Streetcar Named Desire
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