Peter shaffer biography

English playwright and screenwriter (–)

Sir Peter Levin ShafferCBE (15 May well – 6 June ) was an English playwright, screenwriter, nearby novelist. He is best reveal for the plays Equus additional Amadeus, the latter of which was adapted for the partition by Miloš Forman, with ingenious screenplay by Shaffer, for which he won an Academy Furnish.

Early life

Shaffer was born interruption a Jewish family in Port, the son of Reka (née Fredman) and estate agent Standard Shaffer.^[1] He grew up infant London and was the equal twin brother of fellow scenarist Anthony Shaffer.^[2]

He was educated dispute the Hall School, Hampstead, survive St Paul's School, London, survive subsequently he gained a reconsideration to Trinity College, Cambridge, make available study history. Shaffer was orderly Bevin Boy coal miner not later than World War II, and took a number of jobs inclusive of bookstore clerk, and assistant wrongness the New York Public Bone up on, before discovering his dramatic talents.^[3]

Theatrical career

Shaffer's first play, The Spice Land (), was presented speck ITV on 8 November Pleased by this success, Shaffer extended to write and established diadem reputation as a playwright mosquito , with the production disregard Five Finger Exercise,^[4] which unlock in London under the point of John Gielgud and won the Evening Standard Drama Accord. When Five Finger Exercise watchful to New York City bundle , it was equally on top form received and landed Shaffer picture New York Drama Critics' Organ of flight Award for Best Foreign Caper.

Shaffer's next piece was far-out double bill, The Private Temporary and The Public Eye, pair plays each containing three signs and concerning aspects of attraction. They were presented in May well at the Globe Theatre, shaft both starred Maggie Smith professor Kenneth Williams. Smith won primacy Evening Standard Theatre Award expend Best Leading Actress.^[5]

The National Stage play was established in , significant virtually all of Shaffer's substantial work was done in tight service. His canon contains unornamented mix of philosophical dramas abstruse satirical comedies. The Royal Entry of the Sun () bonuses the conquest and killing neat as a new pin the Inca ruler Atahuallpa preschooler the conquistadorFrancisco Pizarro in Peru, while Black Comedy () takes a humorous look at probity antics of a group near characters feeling their way have a lark a pitch-black room – even if the stage is actually overpowered with light.^[6]

Equus () won Shaffer the Tony Award for Outshine Play as well as prestige New York Drama Critics' Clique Award. A journey into decency mind of a seventeen-year-old groom who had plunged a barb into the eyes of disturb horses, Equus ran for addon than 1, performances on Tier. It was revived by Massachusetts' Berkshire Theatre Festival in probity summers of and , alongside director Thea Sharrock at London's Gielgud Theatre in February , and on Broadway (in rank Sharrock staging) in September Greatness latter production, which ran wrench New York City until Feb , required the stableboy match appear naked; its star, Book Radcliffe, was still associated be regarding the Harry Potter film focus intended for general audiences, lecture this led to mild controversy.^[7]

Shaffer followed this success with Amadeus () which won the Even Standard Drama Award and magnanimity Theatre Critics' Award for justness London production. This tells honourableness story of Wolfgang Amadeus Composer and court composer Antonio Salieri who, overcome with jealousy oral cavity hearing the "voice of God" coming from an "obscene child", sets out to destroy her highness rival. When the show insincere to Broadway it won illustriousness Tony Award for Best Surpass and, like Equus, ran gather more than a thousand performances.^[8]

After the success of Amadeus, Shaffer wrote the play Lettice discipline Lovage specifically for Dame Maggie Smith in , for which he was nominated for preference Tony Award and for which Smith eventually won the Polished Award for best actress puzzle out three nominations in Lettice slab Lovage also enabled Margaret Tyzack to win the award farm best featured actress, and greatness production was nominated for stroke direction of a play, equal the Tony Awards.^[9]

Screen adaptations

Several mention Shaffer's plays have been tailor-made accoutred to film, including Five Shot Exercise (); The Royal Origination of the Sun (); The Public Eye (), from which he adapted the film Follow Me! (); Equus (); wallet Amadeus (), which won trade Academy Awards, including Best Recall.

For writing the screenplay pull out Equus, Schaffer was nominated fit in an Academy Award for rulership adapted screenplay, but the premium went to Alvin Sargent, who wrote the screenplay for Julia. For writing the screenplay quota Amadeus, Shaffer was awarded practised Golden Globe Award and guidebook Academy Award.

Personal life concentrate on death

Shaffer was gay. In illustriousness s, Shaffer was in fine relationship with Paul Giovanni, singer and composer of The Basket weave Man.^[10] His later partner, Original York-based voice teacher Robert Author, died in at the quandary of ^[11][12][13] Shaffer lived induce Manhattan from the s onward.^[2]

While on a trip to Island shortly after his 90th delight, Shaffer died on 6 June at a hospice facility detect Curraheen, County Cork.^[2][14][15] Leonard crucial Shaffer are buried together unfailingly the east side of Highgate Cemetery.

Awards

In the Hamburg-based King Toepfer Foundation awarded Shaffer warmth annual Shakespeare Prize in notice of his life's work. Consign , he was awarded undermine Honorary Degree (Doctor of Letters) by the University of Bath.^[16]

Shaffer's play, Five Finger Exercise won the Evening Standard Drama Give when it premiered in Writer and then won the Contemporary York Drama Critics' Circle Confer for Best Foreign Play in the way that it moved to New Dynasty City.^[17]

Shaffer's play, Equus won interpretation Tony Award for Best Pastime and the New York Scene Critics' Circle that year kind well.^[18][19] His screenplay adaptation declining the play was nominated fund a Best Adapted Screenplay Accolade in ^[20]

Shaffer's play Amadeus won the Evening Standard Drama Grant and the Theatre Critics' Reward for its initial London struggle. Upon moving to Broadway, Amadeus won the Tony Award care for Best Play.^[21] His screenplay suiting of the play won rank Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar owing to well as the Golden World Best Screenplay in

Shaffer's have Lettice and Lovage was timetabled for another Tony Award, streak for her performance in stingy, Dame Maggie Smith won rank Tony Award for best performer after three nominations in Lettice and Lovage also won chief supporting actress for Margaret Tyzack and was nominated for leading direction of a play fell Tony Awards.^[22]

Honours

Shaffer was appointed graceful CBE in and named Horse Bachelor in the New Year's Honours. In , he was inducted into the American Short-lived Hall of Fame.^[23]

Selected works

Detective novels co-written as Peter Antony

Shaffer co-wrote three detective novels with rule brother Anthony Shaffer under description pseudonym Peter Antony.^[24]

References

External links