The Stage

Hall - I’ll stand down if Rose of Kingston fails

Published Tuesday 23 August 2005 at 13:15 by Alistair Smith

Peter Hall has vowed to step down from his position as artistic director of the Rose of Kingston if he cannot make a success of the new 1,000-seat theatre.

At a recent council scrutiny panel meeting about the decision to grant the venue a £3 million rescue package, Hall insisted that the Rose would not lose money and promised that if it did he would “go, and go quickly”.

Speaking to The Stage, he added: “It wasn’t just some kind of melodramatic statement. I ran the National Theatre for 15 years and the Royal Shakespeare Company for eight years without a deficit. I know about running theatre companies. If I can’t, I will either be asked to leave or I will resign.”

Hall’s plan to create a modern interpretation of the Shakespearean Rose Theatre in Kingston has been fraught with difficulties. In addition to a dispute between the Liberal Democrat council and Conservative opposition over the allocation of public cash to the project, an independent report from the Audit Commission earlier this year found that funds were lacking and the scheme was running behind schedule.

But despite the setbacks, and the venue’s distance from central London, Hall is convinced that the Rose can consistently attract large audiences.

He added: “When I was at the National Theatre, we did a survey and found that 60% of our audience came from that area of south London. Seat prices will be very reasonable, with some as low as £6 per person. I don’t think it is going to be easy but I think it is possible, otherwise I wouldn’t do it. I think the Rose is the most beautiful theatre building that’s gone up since the war.”

Work has now begun on fitting out the interior of the venue, due to open in September 2006, and Hall has started programming for its inaugural season.

As well as hosting its own resident company, the theatre will launch a masters degree in classical acting in partnership with Kingston University. The first course of its kind, it will allow ten actors, two directors and two set designers direct entry into Hall’s professional theatre company when they graduate.