Sir Tom Stoppard (born
Tomáš Straussler; 3 July 1937) is a British playwright and screenwriter,
knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as
Arcadia,
The Coast of Utopia,
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour,
Professional Foul,
The Real Thing, and
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. He co-wrote the screenplays for
Brazil,
The Russia House, and
Shakespeare in Love, and has received one
Academy Award and four
Tony Awards. Themes of human rights, censorship and
political freedom pervade his work along with exploration of linguistics and philosophy. Stoppard has been a key playwright of the
National Theatre and is one of the most internationally performed dramatists of his generation.