Playwright Sir Tom Stoppard dies at 88

Sir Tom Stoppard, one of the UK’s best-known playwrights, has died aged 88, his agents have announced.

Sir Tom, who won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for the screenplay for Shakespeare In Love, "died peacefully at home in Dorset, surrounded by his family".

His other stage work included The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

"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," United Agents added.

"It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him."

The playwright captivated the hearts of audiences for more than six decades with work that explored philosophical and political themes.

He also wrote for film, TV and radio. He adapted Leo Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina for the 2012 film starring Keira Knightley and Jude Law.

In 2020, he released his semi-autobiographical new work titled Leopoldstadt - set in the Jewish quarter of early 20th Century Vienna - which later won him an Olivier award for best new play and scooped four Tony awards.

Born Tomas Straussler in Czechoslovakia, he fled his home during the Nazi occupation and found refuge in Britain.

He received many honours and accolades throughout his career, including being knighted by the late Queen for his services to literature in 1997.

Sir Tom's career as a playwright did not take off until the 1960s when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It was later performed at the National Theatre and Broadway.

The play focuses on two minor characters from Hamlet. It won several awards including four Tonys in 1968, including best play.