George Hall at 100: Podcast Series
Square Elephant Productions has partnered with Electric Owl Productions to produce a unique and exciting new five-part podcast series, George Hall at 100
George Hall at 100 tells the extraordinary story of the life and career of one of the most important, influential and inspirational acting teachers in the history of British theatre. Having celebrated his 100th birthday on 5th February 2025, George Hall is still giving weekly zoom lectures to post-grad students at the Royal Academy of Music – 95 years after he first visited a theatre as a child!
Introduced by Neil Pearson, the series features five conversations recorded just before George’s 100th birthday, between him and his former pupils Sir Tony Robinson, Belinda Lang, Leonie Mellinger and Neil, Nickolas Grace and Nigel Lilley.
The five-part series also includes hugely entertaining new interviews with former students Kevin Whately, Rufus Sewell, Zoe Wanamaker, Michael Grandage, James Nesbitt, Tessa Peake- Jones, Freddie Fox, Christopher Ecclestone, Sara Kestelman, David Robb, Janet Ellis, Peter Davison, Fern Britton, Peter Guinness, David Horovitch, Tom Read Wilson, Harriet Thorpe, Lalla Ward, Peter Chelsom, James Purefoy, Lindsay Duncan and Dave Clark.
Since studying at the Old Vic School with Joan Plowright in 1949, George Hall has been an actor, musician, director, writer of more than 1000 performed songs, music hall performer, music associate at BBC TV throughout the 1950’s, voice coach to numerous actors including Sir Laurence Olivier, Dame Edith Evans and Leslie Caron – and he even wrote a single with Clive Dunn that was produced by George Martin and then banned by the BBC!
But it has been as a revered teacher that George Hall has made his greatest impact on British arts and theatre. Until 1987, he spent almost a quarter of a century as Director of the legendary acting course at the Central School of Drama and since then he’s also had long spells teaching at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, at the American University of Yale and for the past three decades at the Royal Academy of Music.
George’s vivid recollections and experience of theatre and music hall run from the 1930’s to the present day and as well as surely being one of the world’s oldest working teachers, he has quite possibly watched more British theatre productions than anyone alive. And as actors, directors, script-writers and musical directors, his former students have also won a vast array of honours including Oscar, BAFTA, Olivier, Tony and Golden Globe awards.
In these unique conversations George shares his memories and stories about some of the legendary names he’s watched, worked with or taught including Sir Donald Wolfitt, Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud, Dame Vanessa Redgrave, Dame Edith Evans, Sir Noel Coward, Dame Maggie Smith, Dame Joan Plowright, Stanley Baxter, Carrie Fisher, Graham Norton, Hermione Gingold, Judy Garland, Dame Flora Robson, Sir Alan Bates, Sir Tom Courtney and Leslie Caron.
At 100, George is still consulted on an almost daily basis by former students and colleagues from all around the world for his input on new songs, scripts and shows and advice on acting and directing, especially in musical theatre and cabaret. Even after 100 years, the show goes on!