Veteran actor Brian Cox has offered a captivating glimpse into the world of playwright Tom Stoppard, recalling his experience in the celebrated 2006 production of Rock 'n' Roll at London's Royal Court theatre.
A Star-Studded First Night in London
Cox, who played the Marxist academic Max in the Trevor Nunn-directed play, described an astonishing opening night audience in 2006. Peering through the curtain, he witnessed a remarkable gathering of cultural and political icons.
"I remember looking through the curtain and seeing Mick Jagger being spoon-fed by his girlfriend," Cox recounted. The audience also included Václav Havel, the former president of Czechoslovakia, historian Timothy Garton Ash, and Pink Floyd's Dave Gilmour.
Stoppard's Purposeful Craft and Elegance
The play, which moved to Broadway and was nominated for a Tony Award in 2008, intertwined the story of the Czech psychedelic band The Plastic People of the Universe with a narrative about the ancient Greek poet Sappho. Cox highlighted Stoppard's unwavering clarity of purpose as a writer.
"He knew what his purpose was in everything he wrote and there was no way you could deviate from that," said Cox. He noted that while his character was based on historian Eric Hobsbawm, ideas were more important to Tom than character.
Cox also shared a telling anecdote about Stoppard's famed composure. Finding the playwright sitting in his car near the theatre, Cox and his wife expressed concern. Stoppard explained he was simply waiting for the parking meter to reach a specific time before depositing his coin. "My dear boy, it's all a question of elegance," Stoppard told him.
From London Acclaim to Tony Nomination
The production was both a critical and commercial success. Audiences in London and later New York loved it, appreciating Stoppard's ability to understand an audience's needs without compromising his vision. The play's Broadway transfer led to a Tony Award nomination for Best Play in 2008.
Reflecting on the playwright's character, Cox summarised Stoppard as "quintessentially English and so proper" yet fundamentally "an astonishing man" of immense intellect and deliberate grace, whose work from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead in 1967 to Arcadia has defined modern theatre.
