The Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of the "world-class status of London theatre." The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awards in 1976, and renamed in 1984 in honour of English actor and director Laurence Olivier.
Introduced in 1976 as the award for Best Director, it was renamed in 2018 in honor of acclaimed theatre director Sir Peter Hall, beginning with the 2019 award ceremony.
In 1991, the category was briefly retired and divided into the categories Best Director of a Play and Best Director of a Musical. These two categories were in turn retired in 1995, and the Best Director award was reinstated.
Robert Icke became the Best Director award's youngest ever winner at the age of 29 in 2016; the record was previously held by Deborah Warner, the 1988 recipient.
Only six women have ever won the award: Deborah Warner, Marianne Elliott, Lyndsey Turner, Miranda Cromwell, Rebecca Frecknall, and Eline Arbo.
Winners and nominees 1970s Year Director Production 1976 Jonathan Miller Three Sisters Alan Ayckbourn Confusions, Shakespeare's People and Yahoo Buzz Goodbody Occupations and King Lear Terry Hands Old World and Henry IV (parts 1 and 2 and Henry V) 1977 Clifford Williams Wild Oats Michael Blakemore Privates on Parade Bernard Miles The Fire that Consumes Trevor Nunn Macbeth 1978 Terry Hands Henry VI Bill Bryden and Sebastian Graham-Jones Lark Rise Christopher Morahan The Philanderer Harold Prince Evita 1979 Michael Bogdanov The Taming of the Shrew Michael Elliott The Family Reunion Trevor Nunn Once in a Lifetime Michael Rudman Death of a Salesman
1980s Year Director Production 1980 Trevor Nunn and John Caird The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby John Barton The Greeks Peter Hall Amadeus John Dexter Life of Galileo 1981 Peter Wood On the Razzle Donald McWhinnie Translations Trevor Nunn Cats Harold Pinter Quartermaine's Terms 1982 Richard Eyre Guys and Dolls Michael Bogdanov Uncle Vanya Adrian Noble A Doll's House James Roose-Evans 84, Charing Cross Road 1983 Terry Hands Cyrano de Bergerac Bill Bryden A Midsummer Night's Dream Barry Kyle The Taming of the Shrew Peter Wood The Rivals 1984 Christopher Morahan Wild Honey John Barton Life's a Dream Michael Blakemore Benefactors Adrian Noble The Comedy of Errors 1985 Bill Bryden The Mysteries Bill Alexander Richard III Garry Hines The Playboy of the Western World Barry Kyle Golden Girls and Love's Labour's Lost 1986 Bill Alexander The Merry Wives of Windsor Howard Davies Les Liaisons Dangereuses Declan Donnellan A Midsummer Night's Dream Peter Wood The American Clock 1987 Declan Donnellan Le Cid, Twelfth Night and Macbeth Alan Ayckbourn A View from the Bridge Yukio Ninagawa Macbeth and Medea Peter Stein The Hairy Ape 1988 Deborah Warner Titus Andronicus Howard Davies Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Secret Rapture and The Shaughraun Max Stafford-Clark The Recruiting Officer and Our Country's Good David Thacker A Touch of the Poet and An Enemy of the People 1989/90 Michael Bogdanov Wars of the Roses Richard Eyre Racing Demon and The Voysey Inheritance Nicholas Hytner Ghetto and Miss Saigon Trevor Nunn Othello
1990s Year Director Production 1996 Sam Mendes Company and The Glass Menagerie Richard Eyre Skylight and La Grande Magia Adrian Noble A Midsummer Night's Dream Matthew Warchus Volpone and Henry V 1997 Des McAnuff Tommy Richard Eyre John Gabriel Borkman Anthony Page A Doll's House Matthew Warchus 'Art' 1998 Richard Eyre King Lear Walter Bobbie Chicago Sam Mendes Othello Matthew Warchus Hamlet 1999 Howard Davies The Iceman Cometh Sam Mendes The Blue Room Trevor Nunn Oklahoma! Ian Rickson The Weir
2000s Year Director Production 2000 Trevor Nunn Summerfolk, The Merchant of Venice and Troilus and Cressida David Levaux The Real Thing Jeremy Sams Spend Spend Spend Julie Taymor The Lion King 2001 Howard Davies All My Sons Michael Grandage Passion Play Nicholas Hytner Orpheus Descending Trevor Nunn The Cherry Orchard Ian Talbot The Pirates of Penzance 2002 Michael Boyd Henry VI and Richard III Michael Blakemore Kiss Me, Kate Howard Davies Private Lives Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch Shockheaded Peter Ian Rickson Mouth to Mouth 2003 Sam Mendes Twelfth Night and Uncle Vanya Matthew Bourne Play Without Words Richard Eyre Vincent in Brixton Edward Hall Rose Rage 2004 Michael Grandage Caligula Stafford Arima Ragtime Gary Griffin Pacific Overtures Stewart Lee Jerry Springer 2005 Nicholas Hytner The History Boys Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne Mary Poppins Rufus Norris Festen Susan Stroman The Producers 2006 Richard Eyre Hedda Gabler Stephen Daldry Billy Elliot Michael Grandage Don Carlos Phyllida Lloyd Mary Stuart Melly Still Coram Boy 2007 Dominic Cooke The Crucible Sam Buntrock Sunday in the Park with George Joe Mantello Wicked 2008 Rupert Goold Macbeth Rob Ashford Parade Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris War Horse Jack O'Brien Hairspray 2009 John Tiffany Black Watch Terry Johnson La Cage aux Folles Des McAnuff Jersey Boys Emma Rice Brief Encounter
2010s Year Director Production 2010 Rupert Goold ENRON Michael Grandage Hamlet Lindsay Posner A View from the Bridge Ian Rickson Jerusalem Bijan Sheibani Our Class 2011 Howard Davies The White Guard Dominic Cooke Clybourne Park Michael Grandage King Lear Thea Sharrock After the Dance 2012 Matthew Warchus Matilda Sean Foley The Ladykillers Nicholas Hytner One Man, Two Guvnors Rufus Norris London Road 2013 Marianne Elliott The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Jeremy Herrin This House Simon McBurney The Master and Margarita Stephen Daldry The Audience 2014 Lyndsey Turner Chimerica Richard Eyre Ghosts Maria Friedman Merrily We Roll Along Susan Stroman The Scottsboro Boys 2015 Ivo van Hove A View from the Bridge Rupert Goold King Charles III Jeremy Herrin Wolf Hall / Bring Up the Bodies Josie Rourke City of Angels 2016 Robert Icke Oresteia Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh The Winter's Tale Matthew Dunster Hangmen Jonathan Kent Gypsy2017John TiffanyHarry Potter and the Cursed ChildSimon StoneYermaJohn TiffanyThe Glass MenagerieMatthew WarchusGroundhog Day2018Sam MendesThe FerrymanDominic CookeFolliesMarianne ElliottAngels in AmericaRupert GooldInkThomas KailHamilton2019Stephen DaldryThe InheritanceChristopher AshleyCome from AwayMarianne ElliottCompanyRebecca FrecknallSummer and SmokeSam MendesThe Lehman Trilogy
2020s Year Director Production2020Marianne Elliott and Miranda CromwellDeath of a SalesmanJamie LloydCyrano de BergeracTrevor NunnFiddler on the RoofIan RicksonUncle Vanya 2021 Not presented due to extended closing of theatre productions during COVID-19 pandemic2022Rebecca FrecknallCabaretMichael LonghurstConstellationsKathleen MarshallAnything GoesMax WebsterLife of Pi2023Phelim McDermottMy Neighbour TotoroRebecca FrecknallA Streetcar Named DesireRobert HastieStanding at the Sky's EdgeJustin MartinPrima FacieBartlett SherTo Kill A Mockingbird2024Jamie LloydSunset BoulevardStephen Daldry & Justin MartinStranger Things: The First Shadow Rupert GooldDear EnglandSam MendesThe Motive and the Cue2025Eline ArboThe YearsJordan FeinFiddler on the RoofNicholas HytnerGiantRobert IckeOedipus2026Luke SheppardPaddingtonJordan FeinInto The WoodsEd StambollouianKenrexLyndsey Turner1536Ivo van HoveAll My Sons
Multiple awards and nominations Note: This list of multiple awards and nominations includes individuals awarded and nominated for the Best Director award (1976–1990, 1996–present), as well as the short-lived (1991–1995) more granular pair of awards for Best Director of a Play and Best Director of a Musical.
Awards Three awards Howard Davies Declan Donnellan Richard Eyre Sam Mendes
Two awards Michael Bogdanov Rupert Goold Terry Hands Nicholas Hytner Trevor Nunn Deborah Warner Marianne Elliott John Tiffany
Nominations Eleven nominations Sam Mendes Ten nominations Richard Eyre Trevor Nunn
Six nominations Howard Davies Nicholas Hytner
Five nominations Declan Donnellan Rupert Goold Michael Grandage Adrian Noble Marianne Elliott
Four nominations Michael Blakemore Ian Rickson Matthew Warchus
Three nominations Michael Bogdanov Bill Bryden Dominic Cooke Terry Hands Simon McBurney Peter Wood Rebecca Frecknall John Tiffany Stephen Daldry
Two nominations
Phelim McDermott
See also Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Direction of a Play Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical
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