Tom Stoppard on Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett and the holy power of revolutionary rock

Photo by Michael Brosilow. Greg Matthew Anderson and Mattie Hawkenson in Rock 'n Roll. 

The Great God Pan as a metaphor for Sid Barrett. Barrett as a metaphor for the history of Czechoslovakia from Prague Spring to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Anarchic rockers the Plastic People of the Universe as a reluctant symbol for unstoppable revolution. Only Tom Stoppard could connect such sprawling, seemingly unconnected dots into a drama of both epic emotional and historical sweep. With Rock ‘n' Roll, he pens a drama that engulfs and excites with the galvanic force of the opening chords of a Stones concert.

Long story short: There will never be a time when Pink Floyd’s “Vera Lynn” doesn’t bring me to my knees and make me weep, and with Rock ‘n Roll, Stoppard gets to the heart of the power of such music. For the full review, click here.