1947–, British playwright. Hare is prominent as a member of the British theatrical left. A founder of the Portable Theatre and the Joint Stock, he became resident dramatist and literary manager of the Royal Court Theatre, London (1967–71), and at the Nottingham Playhouse (1973). His plays are personal dramas, often presented in a historical context. Among the best of his early works is Teeth 'n Smiles (1975), a satirical commentary on the state of modern British society. His most successful play was Pravda (1985), which he wrote with his frequent collaborator Howard Brenton. The 1998–99 Broadway season marked a peak in Hare's success, featuring productions of his The Judas Kiss,The Blue Room, and Amy's View, as well as a one-man play, Via Dolorosa, performed by Hare. The Breath of Life (2002) is a caustic study of two women in late middle age abandoned by the same man, roles originated in London by Dames Judi Dench and Maggie Smith.

See his Acting Up (1999).

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