Tributes pour in as theatre giant Sir Peter Hall dies aged 86
SIR PETER HALL, one of the greatest names in British theatre, has died at the age of 86.
The founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company and former director of the National Theatre passed away yesterday surrounded by his family at University College Hospital.
Tributes poured in today, with Sir Trevor Nunn saying his “achievement defies definition”, while Sir Nicholas Hytner called him “one of the great figures in British theatrical history”.
Sir Peter had been diagnosed with dementia in 2011. He is survived by his wife, Nicki, and children Christopher, Jennifer, Edward, Lucy, Rebecca and Emma and nine grandchildren. Former wives Leslie Caron, Jacqueline Taylor and Maria Ewing also survive him.
There will be a private family funeral and details of a memorial service will be announced at a later date.
Sir Peter’s career spanned more than half a century. He made his directorial debut — the English-language premiere of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot — while still in his twenties.
He went on to found the RSC in 1960, which he led until 1968. He was appointed director of the National Theatre in 1973 and was responsible for the move from the Old Vic to the purpose-built complex on the South Bank. After leaving the National Theatre in 1988, he formed the Peter Hall Company and in 2003 became the founding director of the Rose Theatre Kingston.
He was also a vociferous champion of public funding for the arts and internationally renowned opera director.
His work included the world premieres of Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming (1965), No Man’s Land (1975) and Betrayal (1978), Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus (1979), John Barton’s Tantalus (2000); and the London and Broadway premieres of Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce (1977).
Other landmark produc tions included Antony and Cleopatra (1987, with Judi Dench and Anthony Hopkins), The Merchant of Venice (1989, with Dustin Hoffman), As You Like It (2003, with his daughter Rebecca Hall) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2010, with Judi Dench). His last production at the National Theatre was Twelfth Night in 2011.
Sir Trevor Nunn said: “Peter Hall’s achievement defies definition, except that perhaps it allows us to understand why we have the word ‘great’ in our language.” Sir Nicholas Hytner said: “Peter Hall was one of the great figures in British theatrical history.” Rufus Norris, current director of the National Theatre, said: “We all stand on the shoulders of giants and Peter Hall’s shoulders supported the entirety of British theatre as we know it.”