Read more
The play begins with Max and Charlotte, a couple whose marriage seems about to rupture. But nothing one sees on a stage is the real thing, and some things are less real than others. Charlotte is an actress who has been appearing in a play about marriage written by her husband Henry. Max, her leading man, is also married to an actress, Annie. Both marriages are at the point of rupture because Henry and Annie have fallen in love. But is it the real thing? The Real Thing was first performed at the Strand Theatre, London, on 16 November 1982.
About the author
Tom Stoppard's work includes
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, The Real Inspector Hound, Jumpers, Travesties, Night and Day, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, After Magritte, Dirty Linen, The Real Thing, Hapgood, Arcadia, Indian Ink, The Invention of Love, the trilogy
The Coast of Utopia, Rock 'n' Roll,
The Hard Problem and
Leopoldstadt.His radio plays include
If You're Glad I'll Be Frank, Albert's Bridge, Where Are They Now?, Artist Descending a Staircase, The Dog It Was That Died, In the Native State and Darkside (incorporating Pink Floyd's
Dark Side of the Moon).
Television work includes
Professional Foul, Squaring the Circle and
Parade's End. Film credits include
Empire of the Sun, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which he also directed,
Shakespeare in Love, Enigma and
Anna Karenina.
Summary
But is it the real thing?The Real Thing premiered at the Strand Theatre, London, in 1982, winning the Evening Standard Award for Best Play. The Real Thing is not only Mr. Stoppard's most moving play, but also the most bracing play that anyone has written about love and marriage in years .
Foreword
'Not only Mr. Stoppard's most moving play, but also the most bracing play that anyone has written about love and marriage in years.' (New York Times)
