Exit stage left: playwright Tom Stoppard is dead

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.

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

"I want to demonstrate that I can make serious points by flinging a custard pie around the stage for a couple of hours," the Czech-born Stoppard said in a 1970s interview.

"Theatre is first and foremost a recreation. But it is not just a c