A great many successful people were born in Liverpool, and many of them started their education and built their careers right here in our city. Today, we’re talking about the famous English playwright, screenwriter, and novelist Sir Peter Shaffer, who wrote a great number of acclaimed plays. Read on to learn more about the life and work of this Liverpool native at liverpoolski.com.
From Coal Miner to Celebrated Playwright
The future playwright was born into a Jewish family in Liverpool, though he spent his childhood in London. The Liverpool native was educated at The Hall School in Hampstead and St Paul’s School in London. After this, he won a scholarship to Trinity College, Cambridge, to study history.
As a young man during the Second World War, Peter was conscripted to work as a coal miner, becoming what was known as a “Bevin Boy”. He also had experience working as a bookshop assistant and as an assistant at the New York Public Library.
Career Development
In 1955, Shaffer wrote his first play, *The Salt Land*. His debut work was well-received, and he continued to write. In 1958, he staged the play *Five Finger Exercise*, which was a resounding success. The work earned him the Evening Standard Drama Award. A year later, the play transferred to New York, where it was also warmly received by the public. Shaffer once again won an award, this time from the New York Drama Critics’ Circle for Best Foreign Play.
Peter later authored the double bill *The Private Ear/The Public Eye*, which was presented at the Globe Theatre.
In 1963, the National Theatre was established, and Shaffer began to write for it, producing both philosophical dramas and satirical comedies. In 1973, Peter wrote the play *Equus*, which brought him numerous awards. The play went on to have a run of over 1,000 performances on Broadway.
In 1979, Peter Shaffer presented *Amadeus*. For this play, he received the Evening Standard Drama Award and the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for its London production. The show subsequently transferred to Broadway, where it won the Tony Award for Best Play in 1981 and once again ran for more than a thousand performances.
*Lettice and Lovage* was the playwright’s next successful play, which also earned a nomination for a Tony Award.
It’s worth noting that several of his plays were adapted for the screen, including *Five Finger Exercise*, *The Royal Hunt of the Sun*, *The Public Eye* (released as *Follow Me!*), *Equus*, and *Amadeus*. The film adaptation of *Amadeus* received eight Academy Awards, and for writing the screenplay, Shaffer won the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay.
Personal Life
Peter Shaffer was gay. He was in a long-term relationship with his partner, Robert Leonard, a voice and drama instructor.
In 2016, the celebrated writer passed away at the age of 90. He was buried in Highgate Cemetery alongside Robert Leonard.
As for awards, Peter Shaffer received a great many during his lifetime. In 1993, the playwright was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Bath. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1987 and was made a Knight Bachelor in 2001. And, of course, the playwright and screenwriter received many awards for his plays and screenplays, as mentioned above.
Peter Shaffer lived a fascinating and rich life. He left behind a great body of work, much of which was adapted for the screen. Perhaps this is the true measure of success — when a person is no longer with us, but their creations continue to live on, motivating and inspiring others.
This has been the success story of our talented local man, who was an outstanding playwright, screenwriter, and novelist. We hope you found this material informative and have drawn your own conclusions.
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