The last new Tom Stoppard play to open directly in the West End was Indian Ink - itself based on an earlier radio play - which premiered at the Aldwych Theatre twenty-five years ago. All of his plays since then have mostly been seen first at the National, including the three-part The Coast of Utopia, Arcadia and The Invention of Love (the latter pair of which then transferred to the West End), with one other play Rock 'n' Roll originating at the Royal Court in 2005 (though its... Read more
A brand new Tom Stoppard play titled Leopoldstadt, which is described as 'likely his most personal play', is set to open at the Wyndham's Theatre in January 2020 directed by Patrick Marber.
The play is set in Vienna in1900, when 1/10 of the population were Jewish, and draws on much of Stoppard's personal family life: his four Jewish grandparents and many of his parents' family died in Nazi concentration camps. Leopoldstadt is described as a 'passionate drama of love, family and endurance' which follows a family over half a century who rediscover what it means to be Jewish.
It will be Stoppard's first new play in almost five years, when The Hard Problem premiered at the National Theatre. Recent productions of Stoppard's work in London include Travesties (which starred Tom Hollander at the Menier before transferring to the West End), and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead at the Old Vic (which starred Daniel Radcliffe).
The cast includes Adrian Scarborough, Alexis Zegerman, Luke Thallon, Ed Stoppard, and Yasmin Paige. They are joined by Sebastian Armesto, Jenna Augen, Rhys Bailey, Joe Coen, Mark Edel-Hunt, Clara Francis, Ilan Galkoff, Caroline Gruber, Sam Hoare, Natalie Law, Noof McEwan, Dorothea Myer-Bennett, Jake Neads, Aaron Neil, Alexander Newland, Griffin Stevens and Eleanor Wyld
Leopoldstadt will reunite Stoppard with Travesties director Patrick Marber, who will also direct this new play. His recent productions in London include Exit the King at the National, Venus in Fur at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, and Don Juan in Soho at Wyndham's.
The play will be produced by Sonia Friedman, and opens in January 2020.