Playwright Tom Stoppard Dies at 88

Playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard, originally from Czechoslovakia, passed away this Saturday at the age of 88, as reported by the BBC. Settled in England, Tomáš Sträussler, as he was named by his parents, gained significant prestige in English theatre with works like 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead', 'Farcical Plays', 'Arcadia', and 'Rock 'n' Roll'.

However, he achieved international fame by co-writing the screenplay for Terry Gilliam's classic 'Brazil', for which he was nominated for an Oscar. He repeated this success 13 years later with the script for 'Shakespeare in Love'. Additionally, he won five Tony Awards, the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, and the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

Stoppard's works explored diverse themes such as Judaism, Soviet communism, journalistic ethics, adultery, and sports. In cinema, he favoured 19th-century dramas or war stories.