23 Facts About Richard Eyre

Sir Richard Charles Hastings Eyre was born on 28 March 1943 and is an English film, theatre, television and opera director.

Richard Eyre was educated at Sherborne School, an independent school for boys in the market town of Sherborne in northwest Dorset in southwest England, followed by Peterhouse at the University of Cambridge.

Richard Eyre gives "President's Lectures" at this drama school; his 2012 talk was entitled "Directing Shakespeare for BBC Television".

Richard Eyre was Associate Director at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh from 1967 to 1972.

Richard Eyre won STV Awards for the Best Production in Scotland in 1969,1970 and 1971.

Richard Eyre was artistic director of the UK's National Theatre between 1987 and 1997.

Richard Eyre had previously directed a well received revival of Guys and Dolls for the venue in 1982, with Olivier Award-winner Julia McKenzie and Bob Hoskins.

Richard Eyre repeated this production in 1996 with Imelda Staunton and Joanna Riding.

Richard Eyre's debut was the 1994 production of La traviata at the Royal Opera House which starred Angela Gheorghiu and was conducted by Sir Georg Solti.

Richard Eyre directed the musical Mary Poppins in London and on Broadway.

Richard Eyre was planning to direct Jon Robin Baitz's stage adaptation of Hollywood legend Robert Evans' memoirs The Kid Stays in the Picture and its sequel, The Fat Lady Sang, but the project was cancelled by the producer.

Richard Eyre directed The Dark Earth and The Light Sky for the Almeida Theatre, and The Pajama Game for the Chichester Festival Theatre.

Richard Eyre worked as both a director and one of the producers of BBC's Play for Today between 1978 and 1980.

Richard Eyre directed The Ploughman's Lunch in 1983, which won the Evening Standard Award for Best Film, Iris, a biographical film of writer and philosopher Iris Murdoch, and Stage Beauty.

Richard Eyre returned to the BBC in 1988 to direct the Falklands War story Tumbledown, which won him the BAFTA Award for Best Director and the Prix Italia.

Richard Eyre was appointed to the Board of Governors of the BBC in November 1995, and in October 2000 was appointed for a second term of office, though he resigned early due to theatre and film directing commitments.

In 2021, Richard Eyre directed Allelujah, a film adaptation of Allan Bennet's play of the same name which starred Jennifer Saunders, Bally Gill, Russell Tovey, David Bradley, Derek Jacobi, and Judi Dench.

Richard Eyre has written adaptations of Hedda Gabler and of Sartre's as The Novice for the Almeida Theatre.

Richard Eyre has been the recipient of numerous directing awards including five Olivier Awards.

Richard Eyre was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1992 New Year Honours, and knighted in the 1997 New Year Honours, receiving the honour on 4 March 1997.

Richard Eyre became a Patron of the Alzheimer's Research Trust in 2001.

Richard Eyre was made an in 1998, and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Nottingham on 10 July 2008.

Richard Eyre was appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to drama.