"Peter Levin Shaffer was born in Liverpool on May 16 1926, into a prosperous family of Orthodox Jews, five minutes after his twin brother. His father was in the property business, which was later taken over by the twins' younger brother, Brian. The family eventually moved south where, after education at St Paul’s School, the brothers were both conscripted as Bevin Boys to work in the Kent coal mines. Peter recalled passing the long hours down the pit mentally rehearsing the tragic Shakespearian roles. On his rare days off, he would go up Old Vic “golden seasons” productions at the New Theatre." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/06/06/sir-peter-shaffer-playwright--obituary/
I had seen the reference to Bevins Boys, but finally looked it up. www.wartimememories.co.uk/bevinboys.html I liked the movie Amadeus. Never saw Equus, though I remember hearing about it when it came out.
My old gaffer was a Bevin Boy. My grandad, on the other hand-born and brought up in a mining village and a miner all his days- hated them with a vengeance.