About the Show

Tom Stoppard’s revival stars Felicity Kendal, directed by Jonathan Kent at Hampstead.

Set across two timelines, Indian Ink follows the story of Flora Crewe, a free-spirited poet affiliated with the Bloomsbury Group, who travels to India in 1930 for her health. There, she develops a complex and intimate relationship with Nirad Das, an Indian painter drawn to her frankness and charm. Fifty years later, Flora’s sister, Mrs Swan, reflects on the events of that journey when visited by a persistent American biographer. The arrival of Das’ son—and a provocative portrait of Flora—compels her to confront the unresolved legacies of the past.

This Hampstead Theatre production marks the first major revival of Indian Ink since its 1995 premiere. Directed by Jonathan Kent (The Forest, Good People), it features Felicity Kendal—who originated the role of Flora—now taking on the part of Mrs Swan. The play is written by Tom Stoppard (The Invention of Love, Arcadia), in his first collaboration with Kent and following his previous Hampstead success.

Critic Reviews (8)

"Kendal is beadily winsome as Eleanor, though her connection to Stoppard and the original production gives the play’s musing on life, art and loss extra bottom."
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"It’s no surprise that, amidst all the teasing asides, we struggle to keep track of a narrative that flicks back and forth between the 1930s and 1980s."
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"This revival of Indian Ink was always likely to be emotional...Kendal’s night, her wry intonation and timing both comic...and emotional, perfectly modulated to the nuance and meaning of Stoppard’s lines. "
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"This Stoppard deep cut wasn’t his greatest work, but the presence of his ex Felicity Kendal makes this revival an affecting tribute to the late genius"
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"The debates may anticipate today’s culture wars, but they now feel dated and lack the intellectual pyrotechnics that mark Stoppard’s finest work."
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"This play feels too much like an artful formal experiment to be truly great."
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"The plot follows a favourite Stoppard trajectory, of seeing the past as a puzzle demanding investigation...the resolution of the puzzle here is less enigmatic, less poignant and less satisfying."
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"Her [Kendal] courageous craft and the skill of the whole team give a fitting first epitaph performance to a dramatist whose loss is keenly felt in theatre generally but particularly at this one now."
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