Peter Gill, a notable figure in British theatre, has passed away at 86. He was recognised for his unique ability to direct his own plays, ensuring his artistic vision was maintained.
Gill's reputation was established at the Royal Court in London. In 1968, he became widely known after directing a trilogy of DH Lawrence plays that were largely unknown at the time: The Daughter-in-Law (1912), The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd (1914), and A Collier’s Friday Night (1909). These productions revealed Lawrence as a significant early 20th-century stage writer, according to Christopher Hampton.
After his time at the Royal Court, Gill launched the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith in the mid-1970s. He later joined the National Theatre in 1981, where he ran his own company and the NT Studio for research and try-outs, departing in 1990.
Born in Cardiff, Gill was the son of a docker. He trained briefly as an actor before moving to London and working professionally between 1957 and 1965.