Patrick Marber, the director and playwright, has shared memories of working with theatre legend Tom Stoppard on revivals of 'Travesties' and 'Leopoldstadt'. In a personal reflection, Marber recalls their heated rehearsals, late-night television sessions, and the last four cigarettes they shared.
Marber first encountered Stoppard's work at age 15, watching 'Travesties' in 1979. He described it as 'glamorous, sensual and completely incomprehensible'. Years later, after seeing 'Arcadia' in 1993, he felt the same spell. Their professional relationship began when Stoppard praised Marber's debut play 'Dealer's Choice' and later offered him the chance to direct 'Travesties' in 2015.
Working closely, Marber resumed smoking to match Stoppard's habit, describing long, smoky meetings. Stoppard was a serial reviser of his texts, writing new lines for each revival. Rehearsals were intense; Marber noted that Stoppard's famously good manners sometimes vanished in the rehearsal room, revealing 'rage and pain and iron'.
Outside work, they shared personal moments. Marber and his wife visited Stoppard's Dorset home, where they watched 'Jaws' repeatedly. Stoppard knew the film shot by shot. He also read newspapers all day, a habit from his early journalism days in Bristol. Marber recalls Stoppard's generosity, refusing to let him pay for meals for years.
Their last meeting involved sharing four cigarettes. Marber describes Stoppard as 'the rarest of men', combining polite English gent with Jewish mensch. He concludes that working with Stoppard was both challenging and rewarding, a mix of art, beauty, and words spoken from a stage like no one else.
