A SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD. TITLE

Artist Descending a Staircase

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  1w, 6m

Artist Descending a Staircase
by Tom Stoppard

In 1972 an elderly avant garde artist is murdered, leaving his two friends suspecting each other. To reveal why, successive scenes flashback toward the 1920s and then progress back to 1972.

Artist Descending a Staircase

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    1w, 6m
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Period
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior, Teen (Age 14-18)

Details

Summary

In 1972 an elderly avant garde artist is murdered, leaving his two friends suspecting each other. To reveal why, successive scenes flashback toward the 1920s and then progress back to 1972. Each of the three was infatuated with Sophie. Before she tragically went blind she fell in love with one of them after viewing his picture in a gallery. Which artist Sophie loved has been a bone of contention all their lives. This full length play in one act was a radio play before it was staged to acclaim in London.

"Artfulness, artistry and art history are elegantly brought together... On one level a simple whodunit, the work is also a clever exercise in altering alignments, which makes you aware of how you have failed to see what was staring you in the face."

M6 (20s, 70s) F1 (22)
  • Time Period 1970s, 1950s, 1930s, 1920s
  • Setting An attic studio, a room, in the open air
  • Features Period Costumes
  • Cautions
    • Mild Adult Themes

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.
    This title may have restrictions in place for London based productions. Please submit a licence request to confirm specific availability.

Scripts

Available Formats:

Authors

Tom Stoppard

Tom Stoppard’s most recent play, The Hard Problem, opened at the National Theatre in 2015. He wrote his first play, Enter a Free Man, whilst working as a journalist in Bristol. His plays include Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead, The Real Inspector Hound, After Magritte, ...

View full profile

Now Playing