BookJumper Posted June 8, 2009 Share Posted June 8, 2009 (edited) I love this man. He has wooed me with the historically inaccurate yet dreamily atmospheric Shakespeare in Love, made my head spin with the meant-to-be-confusing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (or Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are Dead, or Rosenstern and Guindencrantz are Dead... it doesn't make a difference and that's the whole twisted beauty of it!) which up until now I regarded as the witty academic's play of choice. However, posters plastered all over the London Tube have alerted me to the current production (and existence) of a play of his called Arcadia, which apparently meshes Byronic conspiracy theory, science, and landscape gardening. Who could ask for more? *runs off to look for affordable student-y tickets, and acquire the text off Amazon*! Will review as soon as I have read and (hopefully) seen it, in the meantime... any other fans of this quirky genius? Note: if you love Fforde (Jasper, not Katie obviously), you'll love Stoppard! Quote of the day (from Shakespeare in Love); I even squeezled it into an essay about authorship last term: Man pointing finger at Will, busy raving about his latest dramatic offering to the assembled actors: Who's that? Philip Henslowe, theatre impresario (dismissively): Nobody - the author. Edited June 8, 2009 by BookJumper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pablo Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 "I love this man" - BookJumper. Surely this Stoppard fella should be your response to the 'what author would you marry and why' thread? Having said that, I've googled him and he's got more than a touch of Tom Baker about him! Sorry BookJumper - This was going to be a serious post, but the wine just won't allow it! (Hic.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted June 12, 2009 Author Share Posted June 12, 2009 Surely this Stoppard fella should be your response to the 'what author would you marry and why' thread? Oh, I don't love him in that sense - me and Tommy Stoppard are far too similar to survive together; put all that academia, all that clever-cleverness, all that nudging and winking and witty pretentiousness in one room, and the room is likely to implode... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pablo Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 What a funny image you've provided me with there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Oh, I don't love him in that sense - me and Tommy Stoppard are far too similar to survive together; put all that academia, all that clever-cleverness, all that nudging and winking and witty pretentiousness in one room, and the room is likely to implode... You missed out the modesty! I've read Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, but not recently, it's a very good play as I recall (the film version with Tim Roth and Gary Oldman is pretty good as well). Amongst many other things, Tom Stoppard also wrote an excellent screenplay for the film Enigma, based on the Robert Harris novel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 You missed out the modesty!How could I foget? Our best quality that! In all seriousness though: admittedly, I'm not very good at false modesty, just because I don't see the point in pretending you think you're no good if you don't actually believe you're no good - but in the specific instance I was talking shared sense of humour, not necessarily talent. Much as I'd love to have the conviction that my writing is every bit as witty as Tommy's, even my lack of false modesty doesn't go that far. I've read Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, but not recently, it's a very good play as I recall (the film version with Tim Roth and Gary Oldman is pretty good as well).I only just discovered the existence of the film version thanks to Amazon and want it oh so bad; it seems however like my only options are Dutch or Korean imports as the non-marketplace version is just Region 1 *sniffle*! And indeed it is a very good play, reading it had me nodding sagely/scrunching my forehead in confusion by turns, which I believe was more or less the desired effect. Amongst many other things, Tom Stoppard also wrote an excellent screenplay for the film Enigma, based on the Robert Harris novel. Not a big fan of Robert Harris's plots, yet... is Enigma witty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosalind Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 I've got a whole Hamlet flashback with the names Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 I've got a whole Hamlet flashback with the names Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead is part filling in the blanks of Hamlet (in that it takes place in the wings of Shakspeare's plays, before the beginning and in between scenes), part exploration of the nature of drama, and part philosophical reflection. Shakespeare's R and G have no real character or purpose, they are just vehicles for Hamlet's wit first and catalysts for the reappearance of his long lost ability to act later; Stoppard plays with this notion and shows us two characters who are unsure of why they are here, what they are meant to do now they're here, and who they really are anyway. This leads us to interesting ideas regarding the notion of the playwright as an all-powerful puppetmaster, as well as being a rehearsal of the most fundamental questions of philosophy. If you've enjoyed Hamlet's existential ennui, you should enjoy R and G's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosalind Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 Maybe it's good then to read this book before I go to Hamlet again in August? Ok not going to be all ooh Hamlet as a play then but Jude Law as Hamlet, like I did with David Tennant as Hamlet but maybe getting into the play and more behind the scenes would be nice. But the description of before the beginning and in between gives me a little the feel of Wicked by Gregory Maguire but then going to the Wizard of Oz instead of a classic Hamlet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted June 13, 2009 Author Share Posted June 13, 2009 Maybe it's good then to read this book before I go to Hamlet again in August?Highly recommended. I picked it up second hand before starting my MA in Shakespeare last September, and I must say that the extra angle on Hamlet proved its worth. Ok not going to be all ooh Hamlet as a play then but Jude Law as Hamlet, like I did with David Tennant as Hamlet but maybe getting into the play and more behind the scenes would be nice. Admittedly I'm more of a Hamlet Prince of Denmark himself person; I went to see the RSC Hamlet with Tennant twice but that was research (second time round I had my nose buried in the text to check for cuts...); I would have liked to see the other one but only before Kenneth Branagh quit as a director to go back to Hollywood and film, of all things, Thor (*cough* sellout *cough*). But the description of before the beginning and in between gives me a little the feel of Wicked by Gregory Maguire but then going to the Wizard of Oz instead of a classic Hamlet Gregory Maguire twists the original in a way that Stoppard doesn't (i.e. he turns our notions of right and wrong in Oz completely on their heads); Stoppard rather takes themes and ideas (identity, purpose, decisiveness or lack thereof, the nature of theatre, predestination) that are crucial to Shakespeare's text and plays around with them in a funny and intelligent manner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosalind Posted June 13, 2009 Share Posted June 13, 2009 you're convincing me on picking it up and reading the book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosalind Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Still need to read Rozencrantz & Guildenstern are dead it arrived a few days ago, but me and a friend are going to see Arcadia in August. It's not necessary because it was by Tom Stoppard though, I've been to the Duke Of York every summer for the last 3 years to see the play that is performing there. Coincidentally this year it's Arcadia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 Still need to read Rozencrantz & Guildenstern are dead it arrived a few days ago, but me and a friend are going to see Arcadia in August. Me = jealous. I had a look into tickets a while ago but I simply can't afford them at this juncture at least the RSC had 50 under-25 cheapie tickets per show of Hamlet, for this there's even no such thing as a student discount; as far as I could discover cheapest tickets are around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosalind Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 Whenever I go to the Duke Of York I have tickets of about 50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted July 3, 2009 Author Share Posted July 3, 2009 I've seen the Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosalind Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I've seen the tickets on http://www.ambassadortickets.com/5/0/London and for 16/07 there is even some 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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