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Stoppard play marks 40 years since Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon Stoppard play marks 40 years since Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
(about 1 hour later)
It stayed in the charts for 741 weeks and became one of the best-selling albums of all time. Now Sir Tom Stoppard will mark the 40th anniversary of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon with a play on BBC Radio 2 featuring Bill Nighy and Rufus Sewell. It stayed in the charts for 741 weeks and became one of the best-selling albums of all time. Now Sir Tom Stoppard is marking the 40th anniversary of Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon with a play on BBC Radio 2 featuring Bill Nighy and Rufus Sewell.
The hour-long "fantastical and psychedelic story" will feature music from the album including prog rock classics such as Money, Time, and the Great Gig in the Sky. The hour-long "fantastical and psychedelic story" will feature music from the album including prog rock classics such as Money, Time and the Great Gig in the Sky.
Stoppard, who had first thought of writing a play about the album at the suggestion of a friend when it was released in 1973, said: "This is more or less, I think, the first time anything like this has been done on radio."Stoppard, who had first thought of writing a play about the album at the suggestion of a friend when it was released in 1973, said: "This is more or less, I think, the first time anything like this has been done on radio."
When decades later he was approached by the BBC, he said: "[I thought] 'Yes I definitely want to do that,' but had no idea for a long time what I would do. Finally, I found some time and sat down and listened to the album for the thousandth time and picked up from the beginning and kept going." When decades later he was approached by the BBC, he said: "[I thought] 'Yes I definitely want to do that,' but had no idea for a long time what I would do.
"Finally, I found some time and sat down and listened to the album for the thousandth time and picked up from the beginning and kept going."
The play, called Dark Side, was described by Radio 2's head of music, Jeff Smith, as a "dramatic examination of themes including conflict, greed and madness".The play, called Dark Side, was described by Radio 2's head of music, Jeff Smith, as a "dramatic examination of themes including conflict, greed and madness".
The project has the blessing of the Pink Floyd frontman David Gilmour. The project has the blessing of the Pink Floyd frontman David Gilmour, who said he had read the script and found it fascinating.
Stoppard, whose plays include Arcadia and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, is a long-time Pink Floyd fan. His 2006 play Rock 'n' Roll, which also starred Sewell, featured haunting allusions to the Pink Floyd founder, the late Syd Barrett, and was described by one critic as a "deeply moving memorial to the great lost leader of British pop". Stoppard, whose plays include Arcadia and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, is a long-time Pink Floyd fan. His 2006 play Rock 'n' Roll, which also starred Sewell, featured haunting allusions to the band's founder, the late Syd Barrett, and was described by one critic as a "deeply moving memorial to the great lost leader of British pop".
Gilmour said he had read the script and found it "fascinating". The lead roles in Dark Side will be taken by Iwan Rheon, best known for his portrayal of Simon Bellamy in E4's Misfits, and the stage actor Amaka Okafor, with contributions from Nighy, Sewell and Adrian Scarborough.
The lead roles will be taken by Iwan Rheon, best known for his portrayal of Simon Bellamy in E4's Misfits, and the stage actor Amaka Okafor, with contributions from Nighy, Sewell and Adrian Scarborough. The broadcaster and pop historian Paul Gambaccini said: "It is a concept album in mood and attitude, if not in plot. I know his [Stoppard's] interest in rock is truly deep and there is truly nobody better in the world to do this."
The broadcaster and pop historian Paul Gambaccini said: "It is a concept album in mood and attitude, if not in plot. I know his interest in rock is truly deep and there is truly nobody better in the world to do this."
Stoppard's most recent BBC work was his acclaimed adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's Parade's End for BBC2, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall.Stoppard's most recent BBC work was his acclaimed adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's Parade's End for BBC2, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall.
Another of his plays, The Real Thing in 1982, featured a playwright agonising over his choices for a forthcoming appearance on Desert Island Discs, although Stoppard opted not to choose a Pink Floyd song when he appeared on the Radio 4 programme three years later. In 1982 another of his plays, The Real Thing, featured a playwright agonising over his choices for a forthcoming appearance on Desert Island Discs, although Stoppard opted not to choose a Pink Floyd song when he appeared on the Radio 4 programme three years later.
The writer and critic Andrew Collins said Dark Side of the Moon leant itself to adaptation for radio. "It is already a bit like a radio play, with the almost naff sound effects of the cash register in the introduction to Money and Time starts with a load of clocks and alarms going off," he said. The writer and critic Andrew Collins said Dark Side of the Moon lent itself to adaptation for radio. "It is already a bit like a radio play, with the almost naff sound effects of the cash register in the introduction to Money, and Time starts with a load of clocks and alarms going off," he said.
"Mick Jagger's production company produced the film version of Enigma, which Tom Stoppard adapted. You don't think of him as a hepcat but he has his links with the rock world.""Mick Jagger's production company produced the film version of Enigma, which Tom Stoppard adapted. You don't think of him as a hepcat but he has his links with the rock world."
Another Pink Floyd album, The Wall, was made into a film featuring a mixture of live action and animation, directed by Alan Parker in 1982. Dark Side will air on Radio 2 on the August bank holiday weekend. Another Pink Floyd album, The Wall, was made into a film featuring a mixture of live action and animation, directed by Alan Parker in 1982.
Dark Side will air on Radio 2 on the August bank holiday weekend.