Sir Tom Stoppard has died, aged 88.
The acclaimed, award-winning Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter died on Saturday 29 November 2025.
A statement from his agent said that: “We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved client and friend, Tom Stoppard, has died peacefully at home in Dorset, surrounded by his family. He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language. It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him.”
The Society of London Theatre has announced that West End theatres will dim their lights for two minutes at 7pm on Tuesday 2 December 2025, in remembrance of Tom Stoppard.
Over an extraordinary 60-year career, Tom Stoppard’s plays included Arcadia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Jumpers, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Travesties, The Invention of Love, The Real Thing and Leopoldstadt, winning him three Olivier Awards and five Tony Awards. He was also an acclaimed screenwriter, with his 1998 screenplay for Shakespeare in Love winning him an Academy Award.
His plays are continuously produced, with two major new productions of his work taking place in London in the next few months. Next month, Felicity Kendal returns to Stoppard’s acclaimed play Indian Ink, at Hampstead Theatre from 3 December 2025. Also, The Old Vic is reviving Tom Stoppard’s hit play Arcadia, directed by Carrie Cracknell from 24 January 2026.
Read more:
BBC News: Sir Tom Stoppard, playwright famed for his wit and depth, dies at 88
The Times: Sir Tom Stoppard: King Charles mourns playwright as he dies aged 88
The Guardian: Tom Stoppard, playwright of dazzling wit and playful erudition, dies aged 88
The New York Times: Tom Stoppard, Award-Winning Playwright of Witty Drama, Dies at 88
Tributes paid to Tom Stoppard
Tributes are pouring in for Tom Stoppard, who has died aged 88.
The King
His Majesty The King issued a statement saying: “My wife and I are deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our greatest writers, Sir Tom Stoppard. A dear friend who wore his genius lightly, he could, and did, turn his pen to any subject, challenging, moving and inspiring his audiences, borne from his own personal history. We send our most heartfelt sympathy to his beloved family. Let us all take comfort in his immortal line: ‘Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else’.”
The Society of London Theatre
Kash Bennett, President of the Society of London Theatre, said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Sir Tom Stoppard. His extraordinary voice reshaped modern theatre, combining intellectual daring, emotional depth, and razor-sharp wit in work that challenged, moved, and delighted audiences across generations.
“From Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Arcadia to Leopoldstadt, his plays broke new artistic ground while reminding us what theatre can do: provoke thought, stir empathy, and reveal the complexity of what it means to be human.
“Born in Czechoslovakia and raised in Britain, Stoppard became one of our most influential playwrights. Over a distinguished career spanning six decades, he won three Laurence Olivier Awards and five Tony Awards, and received an Academy Award for his screenplay for Shakespeare in Love. That recognition attests to the remarkable range and enduring impact of his work on both stage and screen.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues, and all whose lives he enriched. His loss creates a vast void in our cultural world, and his legacy will continue to inspire.”
The National Theatre
The National Theatre released a statement: “We are devastated to hear of the death of Tom Stoppard. As a corner stone of the National Theatre for 50 years, Tom’s influence on British theatre has been simply immense.
“His relationship with the National Theatre began with the world premiere of his breakthrough work, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, at the Old Vic in 1967. It went on to become the first National Theatre production to transfer to Broadway.
“Many of his landmark plays including Jumpers, Arcadia, The Invention of Love and The Coast of Utopia received their world premieres at the National Theatre, cementing him as one of the defining playwrights of the modern era.
“Tom’s bold storytelling encouraged audiences to reflect on history, philosophy, and the human experience. His blend of intellectual curiosity and dry wit, a joy to behold.
“He was an important part of the National Theatre family, not only through his plays but also serving on the Board as a trustee and being a friend and advisor to several of the Directors of the National Theatre.
“Today we have lost a giant of theatre. Our deepest condolences to all who knew him and all those enriched by his luminous craft.”
The Old Vic
Matthew Warchus, Artistic Director of The Old Vic, said: “Tom Stoppard was simply one of the indisputable greatest playwrights and screenwriters of our time and any time. His writing achieved a seemingly impossible fusion between passion, wit and intellect. Unsurprisingly, he was an amazing person to spend any time with – generous, kind, hilarious and effortlessly brainy. From my perspective he was both a kind of rock star and genius professor. We are lucky to have lived in his lifetime and to have witnessed, first-hand, astonishing play after astonishing play flow out of him. An exceptional person. Our thoughts are with his close friends and family. Rest in peace Tom.”
Sonia Friedman
West End and Broadway producer Sonia Friedman said: “Today we say goodbye to the world’s greatest playwright. But I am also saying goodbye to my great friend and long term collaborator, and the kindest and wisest person I have ever known.
“I’m absolutely devastated, but also feeling profoundly lucky to have had him in my life. Tom transformed the landscape of theatre and literature, yet what stayed with you most was his quiet decency. He made you feel special, valued, entirely worth his time; an extraordinary gift from someone whose mind could illuminate the world.
“He was always there for me. Through chaos, doubt, triumph, fear, Tom was steady, funny, wise, and unfailingly present; simply there, exactly when I needed him. He loved his friends with a gentle constancy, and we all adored and cherished him.
“We all knew we were standing beside greatness, but he never carried himself like a man who knew it. He wore his brilliance lightly.
“The love he shared with Sabrina, and the warmth he drew from his family, gave him a grounding that deepened everything he did. A quiet foundation beneath that extraordinary mind.
“His kindness was active and alert, rooted in real curiosity about other people.
“In a noisy world, Tom listened. And in that listening was its own form of genius.
“I will miss my dear, great friend beyond measure. But his words and ideas will outlive us all.
“Goodbye, my dear friend. Thank you for the joy, the wisdom, the laughter, and the kindness you gave so freely. I love you.”
Nicholas Hytner
Nicholas Hytner, former Artistic Director of the National Theatre and current Artistic Director of the Bridge Theatre, said: “Tom’s towering achievements came with an astonishing generosity and curiosity about the work of others. His shelves were stacked with the work of other playwrights. He seemed to see everything, and was precise and thrilling when he wrote in appreciation of the things he liked. He was a great writer and a legendary host but those of us lucky enough to know him and work with him will remember him as an exceptional enhancer of the lives he touched.”
Rupert Goold
Rupert Goold, current Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre and incoming Artistic Director of The Old Vic, said: “Tom Stoppard’s magic was present in everything he wrote but he was also the kindest, most supportive, most generous, man. With Pinter you always knew you were in the presence of genius but with Tom you somehow felt you might participate in it too. Et in Arcadia est.”
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📷 Main photo: Tom Stoppard. Photo by Manuel Harlan
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