There have been numerous stories on social media about Tom Stoppard, who died on Saturday at the age of 88. My lasting memory of him is from 1999, when he won the Oscar for best screenplay (Shakespeare in Love). He accepted the award shortly after Roberto Benigni had accepted his (for Best Foreign Film), climbing onto the backs of seats in delight before arriving manically on stage. Stoppard, standing tall and composed at the microphone, said: “I’m acting like Roberto Benigni, only inside.”
