Arcadia

Arcadia photos

Arcadia description

So why should you see the latest production of Tom Stoppard's masterwork Arcadia? For a start it is both intelligent and witty, loved for its humour and deep intellectual themes. It is engaging and compelling, unfolding a complicated but rewarding plot. It compares the merits of humanity and science, kicking off conversations about what makes us flourish. Because it's staged in the round it is unusually intimate. All this is wrapped in a curious story where two worlds and two times in history overlap. And the final scene is a real tear-jerker.

As you can imagine, it is regarded as Stoppard's finest work, loved by critics as well as audiences. If you get a thrill from diving into the depths of human knowledge and enjoy the universal quest for understanding, you'll adore this play... and you'll be thinking about the questions it raises for weeks afterwards. The show is directed by Carrie Cracknell (The Grapes of Wrath) and produced by the playwright's long-time collaborator Sonia Friedman Productions (Paddington The Musical, 1536, The Book of Mormon), with Winkler & Smalberg. A brilliant play to spark your imagination, it's inspirational.

Playing at Duke of York's Theatre (venue info)