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EQUUS byPeter Shaffer
Peter Shaffer's first play, The Salt Land, was written in 1951 and produced for television in 1955. Subsequently his comedy, The Prodigal Father, was produced on radio and a thrilling Balance of Terror was televised. His play, Five Finger Exercise, was directed by John Gielgud at the Comedy Theatre in 1958, transferred to New York in 1959, and was followed by a film version in 1962. The Private Ear and The Public Eye, two comedies with Maggie Smith, were staged as a double bill at the Globe Theatre in 1962. His next play, The Royal Hunt of the Sun, was produced by the National Theatre at Chichester, and subsequently at the Old Vic and in New York. It has since been adapted for both film and opera, and was revived at the National Theatre in 2006.
Peter Shaffer's other plays include Black Comedy, White Lies (also reworked into White Liars), The Battle of Shrivings and the award-winning EQUUS, first produced by the National Theatre at the Old Vic, and then in the West End and on Broadway where it ran for over 1200 performances. EQUUS will be revived in the West End in 2007. His multi award-winning play Amadeus, opened at the National in 1979, and on Broadway in 1980 (running for over 1000 performances), and then transferred to the West End. Amadeus has seen further revivals at Wilton's Music Hall, in the West End and on Broadway; the 1984 film won Peter Shaffer one of its eight Oscars.
His more recent plays include Yonadab, which opened at the National; Lettice and Lovage, which opened in the West End; Whom Do I Have the Honour of Addressing? for radio, at Chichester Festival Theatre and on tour; and The Gift of the Gorgon for the RSC.
In 1994, he was Visiting Professor of Contemporary Drama at St. Catherine's College, Oxford. He was awarded the CBE in 1987. He was knighted in 2001.
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