"He was one of the most intelligent people you could ever meet but the extraordinary thing was that you'd walk away from conversations with him feeling like you were not unintelligent or unwitty yourself. That's not always the case with incredibly brilliant writers and funny people. That generosity of spirit marked my time with him. He was incredibly good company, very sweet, and you felt encouraged to put forward your own ideas, make your own jokes."
"You'd see a play imparting all these competing ideas and you would leave abuzz and pretty confident you could explain it to your friends but you had to make sure that you'd worked out exactly how to do so before you reached Hammersmith because that was when it would start to evaporate. You would feel the benefit of his genius probably about as far as Barons Court. If something felt even remotely page-bound he was bothered by it'"
Tom Stoppard combined extraordinary intelligence with a generous spirit that made collaborators feel encouraged and confident. Conversations with him left people feeling capable and witty rather than diminished. He was amiable, good company, and supported others' ideas and jokes. His plays presented competing ideas that left audiences abuzz and ready to explain them, though the clarity required effort before it began to fade geographically. His theatrical influence was vivid but intolerant of anything that felt page-bound. He offered direct personal support to actors, visiting a dressing room before an audition to express approval and bolster confidence.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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