The Real Thing

Wordsmith Tom Stoppard's semi-autobiographical romantic comedy wowed audiences on the West End and Broadway. This superbly performed audio version, recorded before an appreciative studio audience, does the same. Henry, a playwright known for his witty and cynical oeuvre, is in real life a romantic--an insecure one at that. The infidelities of Annie, the actress he loves, and her incomprehensible support for a thuggish Scottish radical, force him to reexamine his idea of the "real thing" he yearns for. Particularly in the mouths of Simon Templeman, as Henry, and Carolyn Seymour, as Henry's first wife, the dialogue sparkles. As Annie, Joanne Whalley does a serviceable job but has two problems. She occasionally steps on Henry's laughs, and she doesn't vocally project the appeal that makes Henry's predicament so acute. Y.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

October 26, 2009
A talented ensemble cast brings to life Stoppard's classic play featuring the loves and loves lost of playwright Henry; his wife, Charlotte; an actor named Max; and his activist wife, Annie. Featuring a play within a play, this production is superbly performed if slightly confusing in audiobook format—it's often difficult to keep track of who is speaking and to keep track of the endlessly reconfiguring relationships. Henry searches for meaning both in art and romantic relationships as he attempts to write a play about his love for Annie and begrudgingly ghostwrites a play for Brodie, an incarcerated soldier and talentless, aspiring playwright. Templeman shines as Henry, perfectly capturing his wit, bravado and pathos. With terrific performances from the supporting cast, this audiobook will delight Stoppard fans and theater lovers.