RESULTS

It is 1809, and a mathematical prodigy attempts to prove Fermat's last theorem, discovers 'Thomasina's geometry of irregular forms' and dabbles in the second law of thermodynamics ahead of time. Nearly 200 years later Valentine applies Thomasina's geometry to the estate's fluctuating grouse population, while Hannah carefully investigates the Park's history and Bernard tramples about on the trail of Byron. The two stories converge, producing a highly charged encounter between rationalism and romanticism, literature and science.

Stoppard parodies the philosophy lecturer, the detective thriller, the comedy of manners and the Whitehall farce. The hero is George, a Professor of Moral Philosophy who is attempting to debate the existence of a moral absolute - God. Unfortunately, Duncan McFee, a jumper and his opposition for the debate about God, is shot dead. George is blissfully unaware of this, tucked away in his office, more concerned about the disappearance of his specially trained hare, Thumper. However, when Inspector Bones comes to investigate, this leads to some very amusing cross-communication. Jumpers is exquisitely organised chaos, which manages to incorporate sparkling wit, mind-boggling physics and philosophy to produce a remarkable play, ending in a hysterically funny coda. The characters are all vivid in their eccentricities, from Dottie, his wife and prematurely retired singer who really is dotty, to Archie, doctor, lawyer, philosopher (George's peer) and gymnast, who spends generally too much time in Dottie's bedroom.

Management Teaching use: A series of misunderstandings and bizarre and random occurrences make this text an ideal example of complexity. The characters seem to operate independently of each other and could be said to be typical of an organisation whose different parts simply do not connect with each other. Equally interesting are the parallel conversations which take place, with each and every one of the characters demonstrating that their view of what is going on is likely to be at odds with each other's. While this may be a difficult text in terms of language, it is a useful one to use to discuss perception in the organisation.

Stoppard takes two minor characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet and shows their activities while the 'action' of Hamlet is going on elsewhere. Occasionally, the two meet, and other characters from Hamlet enter the stage, but the majority of time is spent watching Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pass time with Stoppard's trademark wit and word games - the infamous game of questions.

Management Teaching use: This play presents us with a classic example of middle management undertaking duties the purpose of which they do not understand. There are issues of internal communications and managerial transparency and the idea of 'parallel' narratives occurring with the organisation. There is also the question of how much senior management (the dysfunctional Danish royal family) really understand (or care) about their employees' confusion. There is the potential for an interesting class discussion of how these two under-informed servants die in their service of the king. The text could usefully be read in conjunction with Hamlet.

A fifth volume of Stoppard's work, with an introduction by the author. The five plays included are Arcadia, The Real Thing, Night & Day, Indian Ink and Hapgood.