close
Cart 0
Audiobooks >  > The Real Thing (Dramatized)
The Real Thing (Dramatized) Audiobook, by Tom Stoppard Play Audiobook Sample

The Real Thing (Dramatized) Audiobook

By: Tom Stoppard
The Real Thing (Dramatized) Audiobook, by Tom Stoppard Play Audiobook Sample
Currently Unavailable
This audiobook is no longer available through the publisher and we don't know if or when it will become available again. Please check out similar audiobooks below, and click the "Vote this up!" button to let us know you're interested in this title. This audiobook has 0 votes
Read By: Andrea Bowen, Matt Gaydos, Carolyn Seymour, Simon Templeman, Douglas Weston, Joanne Whalley, Matthew Wolf Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 1.17 hours at 1.5x Speed 0.88 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: February 2010 Format: Original Staging Audiobook ISBN:
3.02127369668246 out of 53.02127369668246 out of 53.02127369668246 out of 53.02127369668246 out of 53.02127369668246 out of 5 (3.02) - 1,688 listener ratings
Wishlist (add) Share
More by Author More by Narrator

Other Audiobooks Written by Tom Stoppard: > View All...

Arcadia Audiobook, by Tom Stoppard
The Real Thing Audiobook, by Tom Stoppard
The Hard Problem Audiobook, by Tom Stoppard

Publisher Description

Henry may be the wittiest playwright of his generation, but he's hopelessly naïve when it comes to understanding love and infidelity. Writing about betrayal is one thing, living with it is another. After Henry leaves his wife for another woman, he's confronted with being the cuckold himself. Both dazzlingly clever and emotionally naked, Henry's search for the the real thing in art and love demonstrates beautifully why both are worth the effort in the end.

Download and start listening now!

"I think this play has one of the best lines about enduring love and enduring through love. Even though the characters and incredibly flawed, I appreciated their vulnerability and desire to stay together despite the fact that their relationship was getting difficult. Stoppard does a great job portraying two characters who don't want to stay together because of a buildup of tension and yet who still feel compelled to remain. It's not a simplistic portrayal either. The two characters are not so devoted to love and marriage that they seem naive and idealistic about love and marriage; in fact, if anything they seem jaded about the whole idea--their last marriages ended because of their affair and there is no real indication that they plan on this relationship lasting longer than it takes for the norepinephrine to dry up. But somehow--and they are surprised by this--they want to stay together despite all this. While watching and later reading the play, I kept trying to figure out how Stoppard portrayed the conflicting emotions so seamlessly. Stoppard is a genius, though, so I still don't know how he did it but I'm glad I can appreciate and enjoy his work both on the stage and in print. A word about the understandability of this play: In his work Stoppard is often engaged in metaphysics, chaos theory, erudite history, and loads of other obscure and hard to understand devices--that's part of his charm and intrigue. Perhaps this play has such devices too and I missed it, but I found this play to be very accessible without sacrificing depth."

— Trevor (5 out of 5 stars)

The Real Thing (Dramatized) Listener Reviews

Overall Performance: 4.30769230769231 out of 54.30769230769231 out of 54.30769230769231 out of 54.30769230769231 out of 54.30769230769231 out of 5 (4.31)
5 Stars: 13
4 Stars: 9
3 Stars: 3
2 Stars: 1
1 Stars: 0
Narration: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Story: 0 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 50 out of 5 (0.00)
5 Stars: 0
4 Stars: 0
3 Stars: 0
2 Stars: 0
1 Stars: 0
Write a Review
  • Overall Performance: 2 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 52 out of 5

    " I didn't love this one. I felt the characters were hard to relate to and therefore hard to truly care for. "

    — Beth, 2/7/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Stoppard has a gift for taking readers with him down the rabbit hole of human emotion, but with a quick witted approach that lightens up the dark corners and makes his work hard to put down. "

    — Natalie, 2/2/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Paragon Theatre 2010 "

    — Joelle, 1/30/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " I read this quite a while ago, and I don't remember much except I rated it pretty high on another list. "

    — Benni, 1/14/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " I was expecting smut and was disappointed. "

    — Giorgiana, 1/8/2014
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " i'd read this guy's shopping list if he published it. "

    — dead, 1/2/2014
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Absolutely incredible play. Perfect in every way...I only regret not having seen it before I read it. "

    — Rhiannon, 12/19/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Fabulous work by Stoppard. A fascinating examination of love and fidelity. "

    — Lia, 12/18/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Sexy and surprising. I like the way the House of Cards play-within-a-play parallels what's happening in the characters' lives. "

    — Allison, 11/30/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Fun if you're in the mood for it. Love is not an easy topic to pick, but Stoppard delivers a fresh and "theatrical" look I'd love to see "in the flesh" so as to revel in the "about turns" and deceptions. Just what is this thing called love? called real thing? Who is acting what part? "

    — Kitty, 11/25/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " The most human of all of his "great" plays. Good fun. "

    — Rolls, 11/24/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " 2nd time read--04/03/13 "

    — Jessica, 11/22/2013
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " Gorgeous ideas. Lively structure. Relatable conflict. Very good play. "

    — Josh, 11/18/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " This is definitely one of the best things ever. "

    — Jesse, 8/31/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Like a well tailored suit. "

    — Sandra, 8/19/2013
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " Is it me, or do Tom Stoppard's female characters in particular all start to sound alike after a while? Lovely moments, though. "

    — notyourmonkey, 7/20/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Devastating insights on love, commitment, art. Expertly constructed but still fucking raw. "

    — Mark, 2/9/2013
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " First saw this performed in New York by an amazing cast (Jennifer Ehle, Rupert Graves). The dialogue is incredible, reading the play later helped to appreciate the wit and language even more. "

    — N, 6/24/2012
  • Overall Performance: 3 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 53 out of 5

    " I just saw this play, and knew I wasn't catching everything so decided to read it. Well worth the time- it was a little sad, but very witty and thought-provoking in its complexity. It's made me interested in searching out more Tom Stoppard works. "

    — Karen, 12/23/2011
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " This play made some truly moving statements about what love is and isn't. (Hence the title...) "

    — Karon, 4/14/2011
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Playing Debbie in this play was once of my best experiences in theatre ever! LOVED the cast, and it's so beautiful and fun and filled with love and angst! Love it. "

    — Letitia, 2/26/2011
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " I read this after going to see Arcadia in London in 2009. Arcadia is a great play . It haunted me for months after I saw it. Many of the other plays in this collection are great too. The kind of plays you could read over and over again and enjoy them more and more. "

    — Michelle, 2/20/2011
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " The Real Thing was EXCELLENT, and the rest was pretty good too. "

    — Simon, 5/14/2010
  • Overall Performance: 4 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 54 out of 5

    " I especially liked Hapgood and Indian Ink (of course, I always love Arcadia). "

    — Hannah, 8/29/2008
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " Arcadia might just be the most beautiful play ever written... "

    — Nicole, 8/15/2007
  • Overall Performance: 5 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 55 out of 5

    " An impressive selection of plays from genius Tom Stoppard. Arcadia, in particular, is just one of those "stops your heart it's so good" works. The scene of Thomasina and Septimus dancing feels like an immortal literary event. "

    — Olivia, 6/13/2007