The lights of the West End will dim this week in memory of Tom Stoppard

"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)."

Tom Stoppard died aged 88 and is celebrated as one of the greatest British playwrights and a major cultural figure. His high-concept plays established his reputation while screenwriting and script doctoring left a significant mark on Hollywood, including contributions to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and Shakespeare in Love. His final play Leopoldstadt premiered in 2020, and he continued to tinker with new material while supporting revivals. West End theatres will dim their lights at 7pm on Tue Dec 2 in his memory. Upcoming productions include a rare UK revival at Hampstead Theatre and Arcadia at the Old Vic from late January.

Read at Time Out London