The 2026 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award Scheme is now open for entries.

The Royal Theatrical Support Trust and Exeter Northcott Theatre in partnership with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Northern Stage Newcastle, Wiltshire Creative Salisbury and Royal & Derngate Northampton invite entries from emerging directors wishing to progress to directing on the mid-scale (approx. 300 to 800 seats).

Now in its tenth year, this prestigious Award – which honours the memory of RTST co-founder, Sir Peter Hall – provides the winner with their first-time, career-transformative opportunity to direct a fully realised, mid-scale production of a classic or modern play on the main stage of a British regional theatre and to take it on tour.

The 2026 Award-winner will win the opportunity to create a brand-new production on the main stage at Exeter Northcott Theatre in a co-production with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Northern Stage Newcastle, Wiltshire Creative and Royal & Derngate Northampton. The production will open in October 2027 as part of Exeter Northcott Theatre’s autumn season and then tour to the co-producer venues, including Salisbury Playhouse.

The RTST will make a grant of £60,000 to support the costs of the production.

The official runner-up will win mentoring from Exeter Northcott Theatre.

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, Martin Berry, Creative Director and Joint Chief Executive of Exeter Northcott Theatre; Sir Nicholas Hytner, Artistic Director of the Bridge Theatre; Natalie Ibu, Artistic Director of Northern Stage; Jesse Jones, Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate; Gareth Machin, Artistic Director of Wiltshire Creative; Prema Mehta, Lighting Designer; Hannah Sinclair Robinson, actor; Alex Thorpe, Creative Director of Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch; and Roy Williams, playwright.

The winner of the 2025 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award was Lily Dyble, and the runner-up was Sophie Drake. As the Award-winner, Lily is to direct Jane Eyre in September 2026 as part of the main season of plays to be staged on the main stage at Mercury Theatre in Colchester before touring to Rose Theatre in Kingston, Northern Stage in Newcastle and Storyhouse in Chester. The production – based on Sally Cookson, Mike Akers and original company’s adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel – is a co-production between Mercury Theatre, Rose Theatre and Storyhouse in association with Northern Stage.

Entries for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award Scheme 2026 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 which to demonstrate their directorial skills. Finalists are interviewed.

The 2026 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award opens for entries on Monday 27 July 2026 and the closing date for entries is 6pm on Monday 21 September 2026. For further details of the Award, please visit the 2026 Award page of the RTST’s website: www.rtst.org.uk.