Peter Hall (1930-2017) was a leading theatre director, founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company and director of the National Theatre from 1973-88. He formed the Peter Hall Company (19982011) and was the founding director of The Rose Theatre, Kingston, in 2003. He directed the world premiere of many of the most significant post-war plays, staging, amongst many others, the English-language premiere of Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot, and the world premiere of Harold Pinters The Homecoming. He was awarded the CBE in 1963 and knighted in 1977 for his services to the theatre.