Article: THE SHAFFERS ; A FAMILY DRAMA ++ Twin brothers Peter (right) and Anthony had a deep bond forged by the shared hardship of growing up during the Second World War. But their sibling rivalry began to emerge as their writing careers flourished. As Peter's 'Equus' returns to the West End, Ian Herbert explores a unique literary relationship ++ The rivals

In the dark days of 1944, two young, Liverpool-born brothers who were destined to become theatre legends drew strength from the fact that their grim roles in Britain's war effort had, at least, placed them side by side. Sir Peter Shaffer - whose play Equus, starring Daniel Radcliffe, is this week drawing new legions of admirers to London's Gielgud Theatre - and his twin, Anthony, were among the conscripted "Bevin Boys", sent down a coal pit at Chislet in Kent, for National Service by the then Minister of Labour Ernest Bevin. "We were together, which was a great help," Peter recalled recently. Their closeness was "a condition of being a twin".

The mutual support system shared by Anthony (the ...

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