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The Old Vic presents Arcadia, Tom Stoppard’s witty, moving and flirtatious masterpiece, brought thrillingly to life by acclaimed director Carrie Cracknell. Here are six things you need to know about the play.
Time to read 1 Minute
Author The Old Vic
Published 06/11/2025
It’s a time-jumping modern classic
Two centuries collide in one English country house, as the Romantic era and the present day unfold simultaneously on stage.
A teenage genius steals the show
In 1809, 13-year-old Thomasina Coverley grapples with profound scientific ideas while studying with her charismatic tutor, Septimus, making her one of theatre’s most brilliant and endearing child prodigies. In the present day, two scholars are drawn to her story and the other characters that once occupied the same house.
It’s about science, history, love, art, sex and everything in between
Witty, moving and flirtatious, the play crackles with desire and seduction – with a bit of landscape gardening added into the mix – as it moves between past and present and the truth is gradually revealed.
One room links both past and present
Taking place in the fictional country estate of Sidley Park, props and books from both eras accumulate across the centuries.
Arcadia makes Chaos Theory sexy
Tom Stoppard manages to make iterated algorithms and Fermat’s last theorem utterly gripping, and intellectual passion as compelling as any love affair.
It’s one of Tom Stoppard’s masterpieces
Since its premiere in 1993, Arcadia has been hailed as one of Stoppard’s finest plays, combining dazzling wit with genuine emotional depth. Now renowned director Carrie Cracknell brings its burning hearts and brilliant minds thrillingly to life.
