Up-and-coming directors can apply for the Sir Peter Hall Director Award Scheme 2018, which is open for entries.
Now in its third year and its second bearing the name of the Royal Theatrical Support Trust’s co-founder Sir Peter Hall, the award will go to a director who demonstrates “exceptional” directing skills.
The winner will get the opportunity to direct a full-scale, fully funded production of a classic or modern play which will open in 2019 on the Royal stage at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate. It will be a co-production with English Touring Theatre and it will tour to theatres across the UK. The RTST will make a grant of £50,000 to Royal and Derngate towards the costs of the winner’s production.
The scheme is intended to appeal to a diverse range of candidates and play a part in promoting diversity in the theatre and among audiences.
The selection panel will comprise chair James Dacre, Royal and Derngate’s artistic director, and judges Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE, artistic director of the Young Vic; Olivier Award nominees Tanya Moodie and Samantha Bond; Olivier Award winner Dame Harriet Walter; Jenny Sealey MBE, artistic director of Graeae and co-director of the London Paralympic Games opening ceremony; Paule Constable, a National Theatre associate; and Richard Twyman, English Touring Theatre’s artistic director.
Candidates must be UK residents and be able to demonstrate a professional track record as a director. Each candidate should submit in writing ideas for directing a play of his or her choosing. Short-listed candidates will take part in directing workshops with actors before a final interview.
Sir Geoffrey Cass, chair of the RTST, said, “the 2016 and 2017 winners and official runners-up, Kate Hewitt and Rebecca Frecknall (2016) and Chelsea Walker and Tinuke Craig (2017), are having tremendous success which augurs well for the winner of this year’s award.”
Entries should be submitted at the RTST’s web site. The closing date is Monday 4 June.