|
Born in Bury St Edmunds, he has received many awards including three for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. He was Glyndebourne’s Artistic Director from 1984 to 1990, and has directed 20 operas since his debut in 1970 with La Calisto. He ran the Arts Theatre, London, where productions included the premiere of the English-language version of Waiting for Godot (1955).
He created the RSC, which he ran for ten years, and was director of the NT for 15. Recent productions for the Peter Hall Company (founded in 1988 and for which he has directed more than 50 plays) include As You Like It, Waiting for Godot, Hay Fever, Amy’s View, The Vortex, Pygmalion.
He is Director Emeritus of the Rose Theatre in Kingston which opened this year with his production of Uncle Vanya, and is Chancellor of Kingston University. His films include Akenfield, The Homecoming, The Camomile Lawn, The Final Passage, and he is the author of a number of books. He has directed over 40 productions for opera houses including the ROH, the Met and Los Angeles.