Royal Shakespeare Company founder Peter Hall dies, aged 86
September 12, 2017
Peter Hall founded the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1960 and had an influential career spanning more than half a century. The internationally renowned stage director has died at the age of 86.
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Leading British theater director Peter Hall died on Monday at University College Hospital, London, aged 86, London's National Theatre announced in a statement on Tuesday.
"Peter Hall was an internationally celebrated stage director and theater impresario, whose influence on the artistic life of Britain in the 20th century was unparalleled," the statement said.
His career spanned more than half a century. Still in his mid-20s, he staged the English-language premiere of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot." In 1960, at the age of 29, he founded the Royal Shakespeare Company, which he led for eight years.
He became director of the National Theatre in 1973.
His work as a theater director included the world premieres of Harold Pinter's "The Homecoming" (1965), Peter Shaffer's "Amadeus" (1979) and the London and Broadway premieres of Alan Ayckbourn's "Bedroom Farce" (1977).
10 cultural exports from Britain we've come to love
No matter how Britain decides in the upcoming Brexit vote, some British exports are here to stay. Beyond Shakespeare and the Beatles, here are a few other cultural highlights that have made their way across the Channel.
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Harry Potter
The Hogwarts witchcraft student has kept hundreds of millions of readers and moviegoers enthralled for almost 20 years. Author Joanne K. Rowling created a fantasy world that appeals to young and old alike. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," the eighth book in the Harry Potter series, is to be released on July 31, 2016.
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The miniskirt
British fashion designer Mary Quant raised hemlines above the knee - and started a fashion revolution with the miniskirt in the 1960s. It didn't take long for the scant piece of cloth to become a hit across Europe.
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James Bond
He's the world's most famous secret agent, and a box office hit: MI6's Agent 007, James Bond. British author Ian Fleming wrote Bond's first adventure in 1953 - "Casino Royale." Ever since then, Roger Moore (pictured), Sean Connery and a few other select 007s have been chasing villains and beautiful women.
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Peter Pan
The boy who never wants to grow up was invented by Scottish writer JM Barrie. In his play, completed in 1904, Peter Pan and Tinker Bell kidnap Wendy and her brothers and take them off to Neverland. The Disney film version from the 1950s is known today all over the world.
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Agatha Christie
The most successful author of all time is British, too. Christie's works have sold an estimated four billion copies to date. The murder mysteries involving detective Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are particularly popular. Many of her books have been filmed as well. Thirty-four years after her death in 1976, she won the Anthony Award for "Best Writer of the Century."
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Queen
Britain has Queen Elizabeth II, but it also came up with another Queen, namely the legendary rock band. The band with its lead singer Freddie Mercury was legendary with hits including "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Will Rock You." The band's members have continued to perform for fans all over the world without Freddie, who died in 1991.
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Winston Churchill
While Winston Churchill isn't a British export as such, the avid advocate for a united Europe was not only a statesman, but a prolific writer, too. Churchill was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953 " for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values."
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Fish and chips
Granted, Britain isn't known for its culinary delights. But fish and chips have made it to many fast food stands around the world - as has the full English breakfast consisting of eggs, bacon, sausage, and baked beans in tomato sauce.
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Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin was one of the greatest 20th century artists, a British actor who rose to fame in the silent film era and made it big in Hollywood. "The Gold Rush," "City Lights," "Modern Times," and "The Great Dictator" are often listed among the best movies of all times. A gifted cellist, he also composed the music for most of his films.
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Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals are known and beloved around the world: "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Starlight Express," "Cats" and "The Phantom of the Opera," to name just a few. He received a number of awards for his life's work, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and several Tonys and Grammys. Webber is also a Tory member in parliament's upper house, the House of Lords.
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Other landmark productions include his own adaptation of Orwel's "Animal Farm" (1984) and "Antony and Cleopatra" (1987), starring Judi Dench and Anthony Hopkins.
Hall's last production at the National Theatre was "Twelfth Night" in 2011. That same year, he was diagnosed with dementia.
Peter Hall was also an internationally renowned opera director, staging works at prestigious houses including The Royal Opera and the Metropolitan Opera.
The Bayreuth Festival showcases Wagner operas every yearImage: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Karmann
At the Bayreuth festival in 1983, he directed Wagner's Ring Cycle in honor of the 100th anniversary of the composer's death.
"We all stand on the shoulders of giants and Peter Hall's shoulders supported the entirety of British theater as we know it," said National Theatre director Rufus Norris in a statement. "His legendary tenacity and vision created an extraordinary and lasting legacy for us all."
