Stars flock to Sir Peter Hall’s send-off
The Royal Shakespeare Company founder’s six children join acting greats at Westminster memorial
Felicity Kendal was among theatrical greats to honour Sir Peter Hall, the founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre director, at yesterday’s memorial service at Westminster Abbey.
AS a giant of the theatre world, Sir Peter Hall could entice the most revered actors and writers to work with him. But at his memorial service yesterday it was his six children who were hailed as “the greatest of his ensembles”. The visionary force behind the Royal Shakespeare Company and the former director of the National Theatre was honoured with a service at Westminster Abbey.
Sir Peter was married four times, and his children, Christopher, Jennifer, Edward, Lucy, Rebecca and Emma, stood up in order of age to pay tribute to his “characteristic twinkle and his undeniable humanity”. The director died a year ago, aged 86, and the Abbey was packed with famous faces who spoke of his formidable talents. Sir Trevor Nunn quoted Hamlet: “This loss to the world of theatre, and indeed to the world, is immeasurable. He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again.”
Sir Trevor recalled the moment he first encountered Sir Peter at Cambridge. “From that moment on I was ready to follow that man to the North Pole, to the dark side of the moon. I had experienced ‘the Peter Hall effect’.”
Sir Peter founded the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1960, ran the National Theatre from 1973, and oversaw the artistic direction of Glyndebourne.
“The three most important performance companies in the land, led by the same person – ‘how infinite in faculties’. And when he called action, ‘how like an angel’,” Sir Trevor said. Dame Judi Dench read a speech from
Antony and Cleopatra, David Suchet performed a scene from Amadeus and Vanessa Redgrave offered an impassioned reading from Corinthians.
Sir Peter’s commitment to championing theatre and opera – he directed 30 operas – was lauded by his assembled friends and colleagues. He was a perennial campaigner for state funding for the arts.
Sir David Hare, the playwright, spoke on behalf of the assembled theatrical talents, many of whom he had directed, saying: “The best way we have to honour his memory, is try and give as much as he gave.”
Ralph Fiennes, Simon Callow, Joely Richardson, Imelda Staunton, Stephen Fry, Twiggy, Sir Tom Stoppard and Kim Cattrall attended the service, alongside Dame Maggie Smith, Sir Kenneth Branagh, Sir Patrick Stewart, Sir Ian Mckellen, Sir Ian Holm and Sir Michael Gambon. The service was led by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev Dr John Hall, who said: “One year ago today, Peter Hall’s life on earth drew to its close.
“Today, we come to celebrate his life and his works, and to give thanks to almighty God for the concentrated focus of his gifts and his extraordinary enrichment of the cultural life of our nation.”
Sir Peter was first married to Leslie Caron, star of the 1958 film Gigi. He went on to marry his assistant at the RSC, Jacqueline Taylor, in 1965, before meeting Maria Ewing, the opera singer, at Glyndebourne.
He married his fourth wife, Nicki Frei, now Lady Hall, in 1990.
‘This loss to the world of theatre, and indeed to the world, is immeasurable… I shall not look upon his like again’