Celebrity tributes to a "British theatre great"

Sir Peter Hall has died aged 86 Credit: PA

Stars from the world of acting and theatre have been paying tribute to the man who helped bring Shakespeare's works to a wider audience.

Sir Peter Hall was the former director of the National Theatre and the founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company. He died aged 86.

He was regarded as one of the most important influences on British theatre in generations, with an international reputation as the foremost authority on Shakespearian directing.

In 1960, at just 30 years old, he founded the Royal Shakespeare Company, insisting on a permanent company with a home at Stratford and a complementary base at The Aldwych in London.

He was diagnosed with dementia in 2011, and The National Theatre said he died yesterday surrounded by his family.