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The death of Tom Stoppard at the weekend marked the passing of one of the greatest British playwrights of all time, and a giant of popular culture to boot, whose dizzyingly high-concept plays made his name but whose side-hustle as a screenwriter and script doctor left a huge mark on Hollywood, elevating films from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade to Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith to his own frothy but witty Shakespeare in Love.
Although 88 was undoubtedly a ripe old age to reach, there’s still a sense he was taken from us too soon: his superb final play Leopoldstadt only premiered comparatively recently, in 2020, and Stoppard acknowledged that despite it being billed at the time as his last work, he was still tinkering with new stuff. He remained a public presence and supportive of the frequent revivals of his work.
It’s no surprise that he will be a recipient of the West End’s ultimate honour: the lights of all its theatres will be dimmed in memory of Stoppard at 7pm this Tuesday (Dec 2). If you’re interested in paying your respects, there’s no perfect spot to do this, though meaningful places would include Wyndham’s Theatre (where Leopoldstadt ran), the National Theatre (which he was intimately associated with throughout his career) or the Old Vic (which staged his breakthrough Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, and many plays since). Whatever theatre you’re near, Tuesday would be the night to pay your respects.
There are also several opportunities coming up to see his works: the rarely seen Indian Ink will receive its first ever UK revival at Hampstead Theatre this month; and hot on its heels will be a chance to see his masterpiece Arcadia, which will run at the Old Vic in from late January.
The lights of the West End will be dimmed in memory of Tom Stoppard at 7pm on Tue Dec 2.
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