THE REAL THING: Gate Theatre, Dublin Previews Feb 6-9 25 Opens Feb 10 8pm Sats 3pm 34-30 01-8744045Tom Stoppard, now 71, continues to claim a pre-eminent place in the world of the word, notably but not exclusively in theatre. Less than two years ago, a revival of his extraordinary The Coast of Utopiatrilogy swept the Broadway awards board.

In the Gate's new production of The Real Thing, Stoppard has the lead character Henry say "If you get the right ones [words] in the right order, you can nudge the world a little." This blend of brilliance and self-deprecation is centred on the persona of a cerebral writer in trouble with his marriage to an actress wife in an ambience where illusion – the stage – overlaps with the reality of a disintegrating relationship. It also signals the sheer cleverness of the script, with many set pieces embedded in its verbal pyrotechnics, such as a prolonged analogy between cricket and life.

Since its 1982 debut, The Real Thingthe work has been inundated with major awards, and a high-flying cast is directed here by Alan Stanford.

Can’t see that? Catch this

The Giant Blue Hand, The Ark, Dublin