Equus and Amadeus playwright Peter Shaffer dies aged 90

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

The playwright Sir Peter Shaffer, whose critical and popular successes in the West End and Broadway included Equus, Amadeus, and The Royal Hunt of the Sun, has died in Ireland aged 90.

His agent, Rupert Lord, said: “He was simply at the end of his life but delighted to have been able to celebrate his 90th birthday with friends and then, I think, decided it was time.”

Sir Peter “passed away peacefully” at 5:30am on 6 June at a hospice in County Cork with his niece Cressida at his side, a statement from his agent said. It described him as “one of the true greats of British theatre”, “a wonderful friend, wickedly funny man and sparkling raconteur” who also had a love of “music, painting and architecture”.

The National Theatre, which staged the world premieres of many of Shaffer’s plays and was already planning its first revival of Amadeus since it opened at the theatre in 1979, described him as “an extraordinary writer”.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/jun/06/peter-shaffer-equus-amadeus-playwright-dies-aged-90

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Maev Kennedy
Monday 6 June 2016 16.15 BST

[niyad]

1. requiescat in pace

[Initech]

2. RIP Amadeus!

[Paladin]

3. Brilliant playwright. RIP. (nt)

[displacedtexan]

4. Such sad news. Such an extraordinary talent!

His structures and prose were every bit as brilliant as Mozart's music, as he described it:

Antonio Salieri: [reflecting upon a Mozart score] Astounding! It was actually, it was beyond belief. But they showed no corrections of any kind. Not one. He had simply written down music already finished in his head! Page after page of it as if he were just taking dictation. And music, finished as no music is ever finished. Displace one note and there would be diminishment. Displace one phrase and the structure would fall. It was clear to me that sound I had heard in the Archbishop's palace had been no accident. Here again was the very voice of God! I was staring through the cage of those meticulous ink-strokes at an absolute beauty.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. To the late great Peter Shaffer I say grazie, Signore. Grazie.

nt

[Aristus]

6. I played Mozart in a college production of 'Amadeus' about twenty years ago.

Hardest role I've ever had. Having to portray Mozart's decline from carefree boy genius to booze-addled wreck was emotinally wrenching. The plus-side was the costumes I got to to wear. They were gorgeous.

Schaffer was an extraordinary playwright. He left an amazing theatrical legacy.

[tavernier]

7. I saw Equus with Daniel Radcliffe on Broadway a few years back.

Brilliant play.

We have quoted lines from Amadeus ever since the film, many years ago. I didn't realize it was the same writer.

R.I.P. good sir.