Peter Shaffer

Shaffer’s gift was for writing plays exploring metaphysical themes – and also farces – that became popular hits, and sometimes successful films. Brook, dissatisfied with their efforts to write a script for ‘Lord of the Flies’, filmed without. Shaffer was reluctant to work with Forman, who took two years to convince him a film of a play is in fact a new work; thereafter they worked intensively for four months on the script for ‘Amadeus’. Guare interviewed his fellow-playwright, and shared a taste for Wilkie Collins; Stoppard, a longtime friend, said Shaffer was the only contemporary he was jealous of.