Few dramatists could match the scope of British writer Tom Stoppard

When it comes to the world of comic invention and linguistic pyrotechnics, few dramatists of the 20th century could match the scope and sustained success of British writer Tom Stoppard, who has died aged 88.

From his earliest hit “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” in 1966, through to 1993’s “Arcadia” and “Leopoldstadt” in 2020, Stoppard engaged and amused theatre-goers with a highly individual brand of intellect.

To non-theatre-goers, he is best remembered for his work in cinema, which included the “Indiana Jones” and “Star Wars” franchises and an Oscar in 1999 for his screenplay for “Shakespeare in Love”, which scooped a total of seven Academy Awards that year.

His writing was often philosophical or scientific, but consistently funny, a distinctive style that gave rise to the term