RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award invites entries

Published: 29 August 2021
Reporter: Sandra Giorgetti

RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award
Paapa Essiedu
Shelley Maxwell

The Royal Theatrical Support Trust awards, founded in memory of co-founder, Sir Peter Hall, are now open for entries, for this their fifth year.

The awards hope to attract candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, and in so doing promote opportunity and diversity. They should demonstrate directing skills, an interest in regional theatre, and not yet directed professionally in venues with more than 250 seats.

Richard Twyman, ETT artistic director (chair), James Brining artistic director Leeds Playhouse, Dominic Cooke director, Paapa Essiedu actor, Haydn Gwynne actor, Shelley Maxwell movement director and Davina Shah literary and creative agent make up the judging panel.

The winner they select benefits from the opportunity of directing their first full-scale, fully funded, mid-scale UK touring production of a classic or modern play, after its opening at Leeds Playhouse.

The production will be a co-production between English Touring Theatre which will be part-funded by a grant from the RTST of £50,000.

The RTST's Sir Geoffrey Cass and Mark Hawes said, "after a year's hiatus, we're overjoyed to be running our RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award scheme once more—this year with ETT, which is set to co-produce the winner's production with Leeds Playhouse.

"This will be the fourth regional mid-scale touring co-production (and the fifth regional production in total) to be catalysed by our RTST Award and production grant—again providing a career-transformative experience for the winning director, work for multiple theatre practitioners, and high-quality drama for audiences around the country. In a regional industry recovering from the desolating effects of the pandemic, this RTST Award stands for opportunity, excellence and hope."

Anthony Almeida, the 2019 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award winner, sees his production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Curve, Leicester start previews next week before touring.

The closing date for entries is 6PM on 4 October 2021. The rules and application form are online.

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