Rock 'n' Roll

Tom Stoppard

Main CharactersJan: A Czech student and rock music enthusiast whose journey from political apathy to dissident activity mirrors the struggles of the Czech people under Soviet rule. Max: A staunch, unrepentant British Communist professor who struggles to reconcile his ideological loyalty with the increasingly obvious failures and brutalities of the Soviet regime. Eleanor: Max’s wife, a scholar of Sappho who battles cancer, representing the fragile but enduring human spirit that transcends the cold calculations of political theory.

First Performance: 2006, at Royal Court Theatre, London

A massive success; the premiere was attended by Václav Havel and Mick Jagger, cementing its status as a cultural event.