Power Play: Biography of Peter Hall

by Fay

The British theatre's greatest impresario since the war, Peter Hall has been the master of three empires - the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and now his own. He has directed many of the most talked-about performances in British theatres and opera houses.
What makes him so loved - and so loathed? Author and journalist Stephen Fay has followed his career from his early days, and with the co-operation of his parents, his wives, friends and colleagues, and with access to many unpublished letters and papers, he has uncovered - warts and all - the complex man behind the media image.
Revealing a significantly different picture of Hall's childhood from his own account, Fay traces the rise of the clever, popular schoolchild to the ambitious, passionately committed young man who was to dominate and transform the British theatre in the late twentieth century. There is fresh light on Hall's controversial handling of events when, aged only 41, and already having run the RSC, he won his greatest coup, the Directorship of the Royal National Theatre just before it moved into its new home on the South Bank. It was also to herald Hall's transition from Sixties trendy to Seventies autocrat.
In this portrait Fay examines the successes and the failures, the public face and the private man, as well as describing a momentous era in theatre history.

402 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1995

Reviews

[Michael P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hall is one of the great theatre directors of our time. Most everything in this book is good: fun to read, more often insightful than not, with lots of information about Hall and his work, with explanations on how he transformed the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre and the National Theatre, and the book is very helpful about Hall’s early career. For my interest, Fay writes too much about Hall’s life, when his work is of the most interest. Some of the comments about the work are very helpful, but there is not enough about other productions. It would also be interesting to know more about Hall’s tendency to feud with old former friends. Still, it is the best we have, and I am grateful for this book.

[Jeff Howells · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've wanted to read more about Sir Peter Hall ever since I read Michael Blakemore's memoir Stage Blood earlier this year (2014) where Hall took a bit of a pasting if I'm honest. Although this book is not an authorised biography, it was written with his cooperation. That being said Hall doesn't come out of this book particularly well either. An only child, spoilt and selfish who grew up to be overly fascinated with earning money and arguably treated his wives poorly...even his reputation as a director is called into question. It's a warts and all portrayal where the warts loom large...that being said it really is a fascinating insight into post war theatrical history.