Sir Tom's Rise to the Top
It is sometimes said that those who cannot do, critique. However, Tom Stoppard — perhaps today’s foremost playwright — dispels that adage. Stoppard’s luminous theatrical career began in the early 1960s when he served as critic for London’s
Scene magazine, penning over 130 reviews. He broadened his horizons to include short stories, radio dramas, and even a novel, but it was playwriting that would become his true calling.
Stoppard exploded into the spotlight in 1966 with the sensational
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. From the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to London’s West End to Broadway,
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern earned Stoppard the first of what would soon become many prestigious awards, including a Tony Award for Best Play.
It was clear that Stoppard would surpass even the highest expectations of his promise. His plays are now household names and are immediately recognized as a part of the Western canon:
Jumpers, Travesties, The Real Thing, Arcadia, and
The Invention of Love, as well as short favorites like
The Real Inspector Hound and
After Magritte. In addition to his original plays, Stoppard has adapted and translated classic European works such as Johann Nestroy’s
Einen Jux Will er Sich Machen (Stoppard’s
On the Razzle), Arthur Schnitzler’s
Dalliance (
Undiscovered Country), and Ferenc Molnar’s
Play at the Castle (
Rough Crossing).
Stoppard has freely crossed between mediums, finding success in film as well as on the stage. In addition to his Academy Award-winning screenplay for
Shakespeare in Love, and his Oscar-nominated script for
Brazil, he has written such films as
The Human Factor, The Russia House, Billy Bathgate, and
Empire of the Sun. Stoppard is frequently consulted by the likes of Steven Spielberg and other star directors — he has served as a script advisor for numerous film projects over the years.
For a man who began as a critic, Stoppard has certainly become the darling of his old fraternity, with each new work earning praise. Chief among his many honors is the Knighthood bestowed upon him in 1997, making him the first playwright in a quarter century to receive the title.