Collected Plays of Peter Shaffer Hardcover – 1 Oct. 1984

A wonderful compendium of Peter Shaffer's most notable plays, though I would have loved to have seen his controversial "YONADAB" included. Shaffer was once lionised for the sense of theatrical grandeur, and ambition of his reach, in the post Thatcher era his reputation waned in comparison to the ascending stars of Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter, both playwrights worked to a much leaner, elliptical, contemporaneous structure, their use of language was sparse, often broken, vague, and from it they created plays that challenged the audience to interpret for themselves the dramatic arc, themes, meanings, and identities of their protagonists, Shaffer was seen as old fashioned, emblematic, melodramatic, a florid wordsmith whose prose seemed bombastic, and whose technique was gilded and prosaic.I think this is a damning and unfair criticism, Shaffer's dialogue sparkles with imagery and ideas, it is often ornate and almost ceremonial in some respects, but it serves perfectly the material he is attempting to illuminate, and creates a real dynamic between his characters. The scale and theatricality stems from the richness of his imagination and the almost mystical sense he has of theatre as a transcendental experience, much like a Passion Play. The recent Ned Bennett revival of "Equus" at Trafalgar Studios, with the peerless Ethan Kai and Zubin Varia, proved in a successful, and much acclaimed production , that Shaffer remains a major voice in contemporary theatre, and this compendium of his plays is a delightful reminder of a unique, greatly missed theatrical voice, who in his three Great Plays "The Royal Hunt Of The Sun", "Equus", and "Amadeus" had his protagonists engage in that eternal struggle between divinity and mortality, damnation and transcendence, belief and doubt, with a depth of humanity and illumination, that still moves me to wonder to this day.

It is good to have the collection in one book. A great book for your bookshelf to keep for prosperity.

I had read Eqqus and then got this book (used version) to read his other plays. Turns out he was a masterful playwright! Not a mere one trick pony. This book will be remaining in my collection for good.

just what I expected. I also wanted to reread some plays to refresh my memory. For fiction and plays the outside condition of a book is not important. Content matters

Excellent anthology of the works of a major modern playwright.