B7

Tom Stoppard – Largo Desolato

(adapted by Tom Stoppard from the Czech original by Vaclav Havel)

B7 a. UK Edition

1. First Edition

Faber and Faber. Published 8 June 1987. Paperback. Half-title, title, [ii], 56 pages numbered 1-56. Pages 197mm x 121mm. Front: brown, dark brown, light blue and white geometric border with in black a portrait of Vaclav Havel and ‘LARGO | DESOLATO’, in light blue ‘BY’, in black ‘VACLAV HAVEL | ENGLISH VERSION BY | TOM STOPPARD’. ISBN 0-571-13777-6. Price on back cover £4.95.

See photos below.

B7 b. USA Edition

1a. First Edition Hardback

Grove Press. Published 1 August 1987. Hardback. White endpapers, half-title, title, [i], 56 pages numbered 1-56, [i]. Pages 208mm x 135mm. Black paper covered boards; down spine in white: ‘LARGO DESOLATO  VACLAV HAVEL  (Grove logo) GROVE PRESS’. ISBN 0-394-55554-6.

Dustjacket. 510mm x 211mm. Front: white with in black ‘LARGO DESOLATO | A PLAY BY | Vaclav Havel’, a red horizontal line, and in black ‘ENGLISH VERSION BY | TOM STOPPARD. Price on front flap $15.95

1b. First Edition Paperback

Grove Press. Published 1 August 1987. Paperback. Half-title, title, [i], 56 pages numbered 1-56, [i]. Pages 208mm x 131mm. Front: white with in black ‘LARGO DESOLATO | A PLAY BY | Vaclav Havel’, a red horizontal line, and in black ‘ENGLISH VERSION BY | TOM STOPPARD. ISBN 0-394-62265-0. Price on back cover $6.95.

2. Book Club Edition

Grove Press. Published 1987. Hardback. White endpapers, half-title, title, [i], 109 pages numbered 1-109, 1 blank (includes, between pages 66 and 67, 4 pages of black and white photos from the 1986 New York production). Pages 208mm x 135mm. Black paper covered boards; down spine in metallic red lettering: ‘LARGO DESOLATO  VACLAV HAVEL  (Grove logo) GROVE PRESS’. No ISBN printed on book or dustjacket.

Dustjacket. 510mm x 211mm. Front: white with in black ‘LARGO DESOLATO | A PLAY BY | Vaclav Havel’, a red horizontal line, and in black ‘ENGLISH VERSION BY | TOM STOPPARD.

Note 1: Nowhere does this edition state that it is the Book Club edition. There are several differences with the first edition: the inclusion of photographs, the larger font resulting in almost doubling the number of pages, the colour of text on the spine, no “First Edition 1987” on the publication data page, no price on the front flap and no ISBN.

See photos below.

Theatrical Performances

UK Premiere: 9th October 1986 at the New Vic Theatre, Bristol
USA Premiere: 27th February 1987 at ‘Taper, Too’, Los Angeles, CA