The Gate Theatre begins 2009 with the multi award winning play The Real Thing by one of the giants of modern playwrighting. Prolific writer and author of such masterworks as Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead and Arcadia, Tom Stoppard's razor-sharp wit burns with passion in this tender and poignant semi-autobiographical play of marital maneuvering and the mysteries of love, commitment, and authenticity. The play's repressed but magnetic hero, Henry, is a playwright of intellectual prowess who speaks as sharply as he writes and scorns others' misuse of English, but somehow can't manage to write meaningfully about love. But who does Henry really love? The Real Thing, Stoppard's most emotionally-charged play, exposes two raw and private souls that become one against all the odds. Largely autobiographical, the play was first performed in London in 1982 and received the Evening Standard Award for Best Play before going on to Broadway, winning both the Tony Award and the prestigious New York Critics' Circle.  The Real Thing runs at The Gate Theatre from on February 10th with low price previews from February 5th. Tickets are priced between €15 and €34