Review: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Title: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
Author: Tom Stoppard
Nationality: British
Year: 1966
Publisher: Grove Press
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Patchy and dated but worth it for the better parts

The outline

Postmodern drama follows the off-stage existence of two of Hamlet’s minor characters.

Sample

Guil: Actors! The mechanics of cheap melodrama! That isn't death! You scream and choke and sink to your knees, but it doesn't bring death home to anyone-- it doesn't catch them unawares and start the whisper in their skulls that says-- "One day you are going to die." You die so many times; how can you expect them to believe in your death? 

The verdict

I wavered between giving Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead both a higher and a lower score. The beginning and the ending are great examples of postmodern theatre, but much of the middle of the play seems to be little more than a Waiting for Godot wannabe. The comedy wanes - particularly when the players are involved - , the message gets repetitive and the concept starts to show its age. The sharpness of the beginning is lost and the play lurches forward before redeeming itself in its final act. In places it is indeed very funny and very insightful, but it’s far from consistent in my opinion.