  sir peter levin shaffer, cbe (born 15 may 1926), is an english playwright and screenwriter of numerous award-winning plays, several of which have been filmed. ==early life== shaffer was born to a jewish family in liverpool, lancashire, the son of reka (nÃ©e fredman) and jack shaffer, an estate agent. he is the twin brother of fellow playwright, anthony shaffer. he was educated at the hall school, hampstead and st paul's school, london and subsequently he gained a scholarship to trinity college, cambridge, to study history. shaffer was a bevin boy coal miner during world war ii, and took a number of jobs including bookstore clerk, and assistant at the new york public library, before discovering his dramatic talents. ==theatrical career== shaffer's first play, the salt land (1954), was presented on the bbc. encouraged by this success, shaffer continued to write and established his reputation as a playwright in 1958, with the production of five finger exercise, which opened in london under the direction of john gielgud and won the evening standard drama award. when five finger exercise moved to new york in 1959, it was equally well received and landed shaffer the new york drama critics' circle award for best foreign play. shaffer's next piece was a double bill, the private ear/the public eye, two plays each containing three characters and concerning aspects of love. they were presented in may 1962 at the globe theatre, and both starred maggie smith and kenneth williams. in 1963, the national theatre was established, and virtually all of shaffer's subsequent work was done in its service. shaffer's canon contains a unique mix of philosophical dramas and satirical comedies. the royal hunt of the sun (1964
1926_births Alumni_of_Trinity_College,_Cambridge American_Theater_Hall_of_Fame_inductees Best_Adapted_Screenplay_Academy_Award_winners Best_Screenplay_Golden_Globe_winners Bevin_Boys English_Jews English_dramatists_and_playwrights English_screenwriters Fellows_of_St_Catherine\'s_College,_Oxford Fellows_of_the_Royal_Society_of_Literature Identical_twins Knights_Bachelor Living_people New_York_Drama_Critics\'_Circle_Award_winners People_educated_at_St_Paul\'s_School,_London Shakespeare_Prize_recipients Tony_Award_winners Twin_people_from_England Writers_from_Liverpool