About the Play
Set in the aristocratic quarters of Derbyshire, Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, is an intricate love story masked as a tragic comedy. Two present-day scholars seek to unravel the mystery behind the happenings at Sidley Park, the residence of a noble English family, in the early 19th century. In 1809, Septimus Hodge, a compatriot of Lord Byron, tutors the daughter of the house, Thomasina Coverly – a gifted teenager with ideas on mathematics, nature and the universe far beyond her age. The story involving adultery, grouse hunting and dancing the waltz is juxtaposed by the activities of Bernard Nightingale, a literature professor, and writer Hannah Jarvis, both of who are investigating the mysteries around Sidley Park in the present day. While Hannah looks for a hermit who once lived on the property, Bernard tries to prove Lord Byron a murderer – and they have to set aside their past differences and battle with sexual tension to fulfil their motives. All the disorderly action and witty dialogue is witnessed silently by a tortoise as the story gradually reveals the truth.
About the Author
Tom Stoppard is one of the finest contemporary playwrights in the English language having written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage. He is best known for the co-writing the screenplay of Shakespeare in Love – which earned him an Academy Award, and plays such as Arcadia, The Real Thing and Travesties which have earned him four Tony Awards and numerous other awards. His works generally involve witty, epigrammatic dialogue and touch on themes of philosophy, human rights and censorship.
Cast
Thomasina Coverly – Mansi Tiwari
Septimus Hodge – Andri Erdin
Jellaby – Lisa Weigelt
Ezra Chater – Kiran Kuzhippallil
Richard Noakes – Katrin Schmid
Lady Croom – Mayumi Kinoshita
Captain Brice, RN – Gurjot Sidhu
Hannah Jarvis – Olivia Tjon-A-Meeuw
Chloë Coverly – Courtney Binkert
Bernard Nightingale – Astrit Abazi
Valentine Coverly – Claudio Lorenzi
Gus Coverly – Sarah Rechsteiner
Augustus Coverly – Sarah Rechsteiner
Crew
Director – Gagan Narula
Producer – Mayumi Kinoshita
CFO – Olivia Tjon-A-Meeuw
Lighting & Sound– Christoph Hans
Stage Design – Mansi Tiwari
Oliver Maag
Assistant Directors – Gurjot Sidhu
Astrit Abazi
Assistant Producers – Andri Erdin
Lea Bacilieri
Marketing Director – Adriana Rüegger
Marketing Strategist – Courtney Binkert
Marketing – Eric Szabó Félix
Art Design – Oliver Maag
Photography – Olivia Fischer
Videography – Lisann Anders
Costume Design – Melanie Böhmer
Stephanie Heeb
Stage Hands – Sarah Rechsteiner
Natala Janda
Debby Gobber
Danielle Naegeli
Vanessa Casertano
Blueprint Masquerades 