Q&A Format
Meet and get an insight in to the process of TV /Ā Film Director Edward Hall!
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Acclaimed theater, television, and film director Edward Hall returns to Chicago Shakespeare to take on the role of Artistic Director, Carl and Marilynn Thoma Chair. The appointment marks a homecoming for Hall, who has maintained close ties with the company since he directed theĀ Rose RageĀ trilogy ofĀ Henry VI, Parts 1, 2, and 3Ā at Chicago Shakespeare in 2003, garnering significant critical acclaim and the Jeff Award for Best Direction. This epic theatrical event went on to play the Duke on 42nd Street, marking Chicago Shakespeareās off-Broadway and NYC debut. In February 2024, he is set to direct this seasonāsĀ Richard IIIĀ starring 2023 Tony Award-nominee Katy Sullivan in the Courtyard Theater.
Son of British theater legend and Royal Shakespeare Company founder Sir Peter Hall, Edward Hall has built his love of Shakespeare around original interpretations of the Bardās plays, making this a central focus of his own career. In 1997, he founded the ensemble-based Propeller Theatre Company, performing Shakespeareās plays in Londonās West End and on tour to Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the United States, and beyond. He has directedĀ Julius Caesar, Henry V,Ā andĀ The Two Gentlemen of VeronaĀ for the Royal Shakespeare Company; and his production ofĀ The Taming of the ShrewĀ was included alongside Barbara GainesāĀ Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2Ā as part of the RSCās Complete Works Festival in 2006/07.Ā The New York Times MagazineĀ raved of his career, āwhat Edward Hall seems to do is work at the cellular level, cracking the DNA code of the text and replicating it onstage.ā
Hall led Londonās Hampstead Theatre for nearly a decade as Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive, where he was known for ground-breaking work, including the Olivier Award-winningĀ Sunny Afternoon, Chariots of Fire, The Judas Kiss,Ā andĀ Ecstasyāall of which transferred to the West End. In 2019, he staged the UK premiere of the Pulitzer prize-winningĀ Cost of Living,Ā starring Adrian Lester and Katy Sullivan. Following his appointment to Hampstead Theatre in 2010, Hall took the company from the brink of bankruptcy through a dramatic transformation into one of the nationās most successful theaters for new work developmentāproducing over 100 world premieres. While at Hampstead, he championed wider accessibility in the theater industry: he launched the Downstairs incubator space for early career playwrights, rolled out discount ticket programs, young writersā programs, and as far back as 2013 began innovating with āfreestreamingā on global digital platforms.
His extensive film and television credits include 2019āsĀ Blithe SpiritĀ starring Dame Judi Dench, Dan Stevens, Isla Fisher, and Leslie Mann, as well asĀ Gentleman Jack, RestlessĀ starring Hayley Atwell and Charlotte Rampling,Ā Partners in Crime, The Durrells,Ā and the season finale for series 4 of the resoundingly successfulĀ Downton Abbey.Ā Upcoming releases include the Sky TV holiday filmĀ Joy To The World,Ā starring Timothy Spall as Father Christmas.
