L-R: Hannah Stone (2024 runner up), Mark Hawes (Director RTST), Tanuja Amarasuriya (2024 winner), Sir Geoffrey Cass (RTST Chairman), Jasmine Teo (2024 runner up) & Sir Ian McKellen (RTST Trustee).
The Royal Theatrical Support Trust and the Mercury Theatre, Colchester in partnership with the Rose Theatre and Storyhouse invite entries from directors wishing to progress to directing on the mid-scale (approx. 300 to 800 seats).
The Royal Theatrical Support Trust (RTST) and Mercury Theatre, Colchester are delighted to announce that the 2025 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award Scheme is now open for entries.
Now in its ninth year, this prestigious Award – which honours the memory of RTST co-founder, Sir Peter Hall – offers the winner their first-time opportunity to direct a fully realised, mid-scale production of a classic or modern play in a British regional theatre and to take it on tour.
The 2025 Award-winner will win the opportunity to create a brand-new production on the main stage at Mercury Theatre in Colchester in a co-production with Rose Theatre in Kingston and Storyhouse in Chester. The production will open in September 2026 as part of Mercury Theatre’s autumn season and then tour to the Rose Theatre and Storyhouse.
The RTST will make a grant of £60,000 to support the costs of the production.
The Award promotes the RTST’s charitable objectives by supporting up-and-coming directors and British regional theatres. It is also intended to appeal to a wide range of candidates and to play a part in promoting diversity in the theatre, onstage, offstage and among audiences.
The winning director will demonstrate exceptional directing skills and a passion for regional theatre, and will be chosen by a distinguished panel comprising Chair, Natasha Rickman, Artistic Director of Mercury Theatre; Roger Allam, actor; Robin Belfield, director, writer and Associate Director of The Unicorn Theatre; Christopher Haydon, Artistic Director of Rose Theatre; Simon Kenny, theatre designer, Anne Odeke, playwright & actor; Helen Redcliffe, Head of Producing at Storyhouse and; Ian Rickson, director.
Sir Geoffrey Cass, RTST Chairman, said today, “We’re thrilled to be running the 2025 Award with Mercury Theatre in Colchester, and delighted they’ll be working with Rose Theatre in Kingston and Storyhouse in Chester to co-produce the winner’s production for the benefit of their local audiences. The Award – this is our ninth – continues to serve our allied objectives of promoting the country’s finest rising directing talent and supporting excellent British regional theatres.“
Mark Hawes, Director of the RTST commented: “We’re proud that, once again, our unique Award and associated grant will be the catalyst for a regional touring production directed by the winner who will be making their mid-scale directing debut. The opportunity conferred on the winner is truly career-transformative. But the Award is not “all about the winner”. For those who reach an advanced stage in the selection process, the Award gives valuable professional experience, recognition and connections – many directors have reported that this has opened doors for them. Our last winner won on her sixth attempt, yet she reported that, even in the “unsuccessful years”, the connections that the RTST enabled her to make helped her grow and brought her work.”
Natasha Rickman, Artistic Director of Mercury Theatre commented: “The RTST is a rare and career-changing opportunity for a director, and we are incredibly proud to be hosting the 2025 award here in Colchester. The award encompasses everything we love here at the Mercury – exciting, high quality theatre, artists making strides in the next stages of their career, and the opportunity to collaborate with our friends in Kingston and Chester, as well as the fantastic team at the RTST. I hope that any director who is eligible, sends in an application, and I can’t wait to meet the incredible cohort of artists that apply.”
The winner of the 2024 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award was Tanuja Amarasuriya, with Hannah Stone and Jasmine Teo as the joint runners-up. As the 2024 Award-winner, Tanuja is to direct Private Lives by Nöel Coward in September 2025 as part of the main season of plays to be staged on the main stage at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton before touring to Mercury Theatre, Rose Theatre, Northern Stage and Bristol Old Vic. The production is a co-production between The Octagon, Rose Theatre and Mercury Theatre in association with Northern Stage.
Entries for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award Scheme 2025 are now open.
The Award is open to UK permanent residents aged 18+ and candidates must be able to demonstrate a professional track record as a director. To apply, candidates are required to submit ideas for directing a play of their choosing (complying to certain criteria). Shortlisted candidates are required to participate in directing workshops with actors in order to demonstrate their directorial skills. Finalists are interviewed.
The 2025 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award opens for entries on Thursday, 10 July 2025 and the closing date for entries is 6.00pm on Monday, 1 September 2025.
For further details of the Award, please visit the 2025 Award page of the RTST’s website: www.rtst.org.uk.
THE ROYAL THEATRICAL SUPPORT TRUST
President: HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
Chair: Sir Geoffrey Cass
Director: Mark Hawes
The RTST is a charity focused on supporting regional theatres and up and coming directors, primarily through its RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award, and funding of the Buzz Goodbody Director Award at the National Student Drama Festival. The charity is supported by many of the leading names in British theatre, including long-term trustee and supporter, Sir Ian McKellen www.rtst.org.uk
The RTST is registered as a charity in England and Wales with registered number 254671. The RTST is a company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales with registered number 921909. Registered office: First Floor, 100 Victoria Embankment, London, EC4Y 0DH.
THE RTST SIR PETER HALL DIRECTOR AWARD
The RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award is commonly recognised as one of the most impactful and prestigious awards in British theatre.
The RTST ran the inaugural RTST Director Award Scheme in 2016 with Sheffield Theatres, with the winner Kate Hewitt directing the UK regional premiere of Tribes by Nina Raine. The 2016 runner-up was Rebecca Frecknall.
The RTST ran the re-named 2017 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award Scheme with Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NST), resulting in the winner, Chelsea Walker, directing a bold contemporary version of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire in a co-production between NST, Theatr Clwyd and English Touring Theatre (ETT), which was staged at NST City (now MAST Mayflower Studios) in Southampton in March 2018, after which it went on tour to Theatr Clwyd and to six other theatres arranged by ETT. The 2017 runner-up was Tinuke Craig.
In 2018, Nancy Medina won the Award and directed August Wilson’s Two Trains Running on the Royal Stage at Royal & Derngate as part of its Made In Northampton programme, in a co-production between Royal & Derngate and ETT. After Royal & Derngate, the production went on to tour to six other theatres in the UK arranged by ETT. The 2018 runner-up was Josh Seymour.
In 2019, Anthony Almeida won the Award and Maria Crocker was the runner-up. As the winner, Anthony directed a production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, opening at Curve Leicester in September 2021 as part of its Made at Curve programme, before going on a tour to Liverpool Playhouse and to four other venues across the UK arranged by ETT. The production was a co-production between Curve, ETT and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse.
The RTST was unable to run the Award scheme in 2020 owing to the pandemic.
Denzel Westley-Sanderson was the winner of the 2021 Award. The runner-up was Nathan Crossan-Smith. As a result of winning, Denzel originated and directed The Importance of Being Earnest in a co-production between ETT, Leeds Playhouse and Rose Theatre in Autumn 2022. After being staged at Leeds Playhouse, the production toured to four venues arranged by ETT and to Rose Theatre.
The winner of the 2022 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award was Stephen Bailey; the runner-up was Beth Shouler. As the winner of the 2022 Award, Stephen directed the UK premiere of The Real & Imagined History of the Elephant Man in September 2023 as part of the main season of plays staged at Nottingham Playhouse, before taking it on tour to The Grand Theatre, Blackpool and Belgrade Theatre, Coventry.
The winner of the 2023 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award was Jack Bradfield. As a result of winning, Jack directed Abigail’s Party on the main stage of Northern Stage in Newcastle in September 2024 before taking it on tour to Mercury Theatre, Colchester, The Grand Theatre, Blackpool and Rose Theatre. The production is a co-production between Northern Stage, Mercury Theatre, Rose Theatre and ETT. The 2023 runner-up was Lilac Yosiphon.
The winner of the 2024 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award was Tanuja Amarasuriya. As a result of winning, Tanuja is to direct Private Lives on the main stage of the Octagon Theatre in Bolton in September 2025 before taking it on tour to Mercury Theatre, Rose Theatre, Northern Stage and Bristol Old Vic. The production is a co-production between the Octagon Theatre, Mercury Theatre and Rose Theatre in association with Northern Stage. There were joint runners-up in 2024: Hannah Stone and Jasmine Teo.
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