Theatre Guild tackles Stoppard masterpiece

The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild’s production of Tom Stoppard’s part detective story, part romantic comedy, part scientific fantasy, Arcadia opens on Thursday 11 August.

Arcadia is regarded as one of the greatest plays of the twentieth century. 

“At the centre of this play about fate, mathematics, feminism, gardening, apples and the utter randomness of it all, is the story of a group of people who simply can't get it together when it comes to things that are actually important,” says Director, Matthew Chapman. 

It’s 1809 and Thomasina Coverly is a precocious mathematical genius making sense of the world around her. Thomasina’s mother is obsessed with gardening, her tutor is having an affair with the wife of a house guest, and Lord Byron is skulking in the corridors causing mischief.

As battle lines are drawn across the school table, a demand for satisfaction has terrible consequences.

Meanwhile in the present day, writer Hannah Jarvis navigates descendants of the Coverly clan and time itself to investigate Thomasina’s discoveries, including the mysterious events that happened 200 years ago and exactly who the shadowy figure of death is that haunts the garden at Sidley Park.

The production opens at the Little Theatre on the University’s North Terrace campus.

“At the centre of this play about fate, mathematics, feminism, gardening, apples and the utter randomness of it all, is the story of a group of people who simply can't get it together when it comes to things that are actually important."Director, Matthew Chapman.