Customer Reviews

Rough Crossing and On the Razzle: Two Plays

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These two plays (in one volume) are ones that only true Stoppard devotees have read. When Stoppard's "accomplishments" are listed, they always include ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD, JUMPERS, ARCADIA, and the likes. But they almost never include these two plays. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved all of the plays listed above (and just about everything else Stoppard has written), and I heartily recommend them. But "ROUGH CROSSING" AND "ON THE RAZZLE" certainly ought to be on the list. Both are adaptations of other plays (but in the same way that ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD is an adaptation of HAMLET -- that is, Stoppard takes the other plays as a starting point and goes from there) and both are absolutely hilarious. "ROUGH CROSSING" is the story of a producer, director, musician, and a couple of actors on a boat bound for New York and a Broadway theater. The only glitch is that they have to write the musical before they get there! In typical Stoppard form, the lead actor (Adam) has a speech impediment, so that he is always responding to a character after several other characters have already said something. Stoppard's genius lies in his ability to make Adam's statements mean different things depending on what they are responses to! The writing is difficult to describe, but a true treat to read. "On the Razzle" is equally complicated and equally funny. If you are a Stoppard fanatic or have never heard of the man before, GET THIS BOOK! You WILL enjoy it

this play was hilarious. Rough Crossing is wonderful, and in usual Stoppard form, filled with quirky characters. Dvornechek (sp?), the waiter who keeps drinking the cognac he brings for his passengers, is one of the funniest characters i've come across. the others have their little "traits," too, adding up to a wonderfully confusing show.