 He became its Co-Artistic Director in 1968 and had a great success with Peter Nichols "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg" in 1967, accompanying the play on its moves to London that year and to Broadway in 1968, earning his first Tony nomination for directing.In 1969, Blakemore joined the National Theatre at the Old Vic to direct "The National Health" by Peter Nichols.He later directed Laurence Olivier in Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey into Night" (1971).