| In 1988 Sir Peter Hall, Artistic Director of the National Theatre,invited Peter to join the company for a series of three extraordinary productions of Shakespeare´s late plays. Peter played `Ferdinand´ in "The Tempest" with Michael Bryant; `Polixenes´ in "The Winter´s Tale" with Tim Pigott Smith and Eileen Atkins; he then took on one of the longest roles in Shakespeare - that of `Posthumous´ in "Cymbeline", with Sarah Miles and Geraldine James. These productions opened in the small Cottesloe Theatre before transferring to the main house Olivier Theatre. "The Tempest" was chosen to play before Her Majesty the Queen for the Jubilee celebrations of the National Theate. All three plays then toured to Georgia and to the USSR playing in the famous Moscow Arts Theatre. They moved on to Japan to take part in the oepning festical of the Tokyo Globe Theatre. They finally played a season in the amphitheatre at Epidaurus in Greece. Peter was also featured in a documentary about Sir Peter Hall, by Landseer TV. |
The Golden Years of Jack Buchanan -
| The summer of 1987, Peter returned to the Birmingham Repertory Theatre to star as `Jack Buchanan´ in his own musical "The Golden Years of Jack Buchanan". Peter and the show received rave reviews. |
| Peter acted with his father, Edward Woodward, once again in a two-handed play playing `Buhring´ in "The Waiting Room". This dramatic and intense piece was written for them by Catherine Muschamp and played a season at the Churchill Theatre in 1985. |
| In 1982 Peter began a long association with the Open Air Theatre in London´s Regent´s Park, playing leading roles for the renowned New Shakespeare Company. He playd the starring role of Cashel Byron in Bernard Shaw´s "The Admirable Bashville". This was so successful that it was recreated as a musical, "Bashville", in 1983. This was recorded in 1983 and revived in 1984. For this role Peter received a nomination for `Best Actor in a Musical´ from the Society of West End Theatre. {These are Britain´s top theatre awards, now renamed `The Olivier Awards´.} |
| In January 1980, Peter was honoured to be asked to return to the RSC for "The Greeks", a trilogy of plays directed by John Barton, and adapted by him from the Greek plays of Aristophanes and Sophocles. He played three leading roles: `Aegisthus´ opposite Janet Suzman, `Pylades´ with Billie Whitelaw, and `Patroclus´ with Oliver Ford-Davies and Mike Gwillym. This trilogy played a record breaking season at the RSC´s Aldwych Theatre in London. |