Stoppard’s finest play?

Press, 19 February 1986, Page 20

Stoppard’s finest play?

A dead body hanging like a dressing gown behind a bedroom door and gymnastic university philosophy lecturers are two bizarre combinations in the Court Theatre’s latest production, “Jumpers.” “Jumpers," written by 'Tom Stoppard, opens at the Court Theatre on Saturday. It has a professor of moral philosophy for its hero, and attempts to seriously debate the existence of a moral absolute, of metaphysical reality, in

fact of God, but Professor George Moore never quite seems to get that far. He has to cope with the disappearance of his specially trained hare, Thumper, and the appearance of Inspector Bones investigating a rumour that one of a team of gymnasts (the professor of logic) has been shot dead while performing in George’s sitting room. Meanwhile, upstairs, his beautiful young wife, Dotty, struggles with a corpse in her bedroom. Before marrying Profes-

sor George, Dotty was a nightclub singer. She retired from her job when she discovered men were tramping all over the moon about which she was singing. Many people regard “Jumpers,” as Tom Stoppard’s finest play. The play’s language “jumps,” full of sparkling wit and word-play. It poses many questions which remain largely unanswered. Professor George is played by Stuart Devenie, and Dotty by Heather Lindsay. Bill Le

Marquand is Inspector Bones, v. The team of gymnasts, made up of university lecturers, comprises two of the Court Theatre’s company actors and five others from the Arts Employment Scheme. The gymnasts have undergone a rigorous training programme to be in trim for the show, taught and guided by Christchurch gymnast, Adam Mabey. Alex Gilchrist is the director of this display of physical and verbal gymnastics.