Shakespeare in the Theatre: Peter Hall

Description

Peter Hall (1930-2017) is one of the most influential directors of Shakespeare's plays in the modern age. Under his direction, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre rediscovered Shakespeare as a writer who could comment incisively on the modern world. Productions such as Coriolanus, The Wars of the Roses and Hamlet established his reputation as a director able to bring Shakespeare to the heart of contemporary politics. He later cemented his reputation with epic productions of Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra at the National. With the Peter Hall Company, Hall continued to work intensively on Shakespeare, directing plays in the UK and America. Reviewing Hall's work in its cultural and creative context, this study explores his approach to directing and rehearsal. This is the first book to analyse all of Hall's professional Shakespeare productions in a historical context, from the Suez crisis to the 9/11 attacks and beyond.

Stuart Hampton Reeves is Professor of Research-informed Teaching at the University of Central Lancashire, UK

An ambitious and highly readable survey which draws on detailed archival research to provide insights into Hall's artistic approach, documenting casting choices and examining Hall's rehearsal process, staging decisions, and use of design and costuming, as well as the reception of each production. * Theatre Notebook * This fascinating and richly detailed study of the Shakespeare productions of one of the greatest theatre directors of recent times excels at placing them within their social and political context. -- Sir Stanley Wells, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, UK