Sir Tom Stoppard has died at the age of 88

The statement added: "He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language.

"It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him."

Tributes have poured in for the five-time Tony Award-winning star - also known for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Arcadia.

Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger, 82, penned on X: "Tom Stoppard was my favourite playwright. He leaves us with a majestic body of intellectual and amusing work. I will always miss him."

Broadcaster Piers Morgan, 60, also wrote on X: "RIP Sir Tom Stoppard, 88. Oscar-winning literary genius and one of the world's greatest dramatists. What a writer! Sad news."

And Rupert Goold, 53, artistic director at the Almeida Theatre, said on X: "Tom Stoppard's magic was present in everything he wrote, but he was also the kindest, most supportive, most generous man.

"With Pinter, you always knew you were in the presence of genius, but with Tom, you somehow felt you might participate in it too. Et in Arcadia est. (sic)."

The Laurence Olivier Awards - which recognise excellence in London theatre - said West End theatre venues will "dim their lights for two minutes at 7pm on Tuesday, December 2 in remembrance" of Tom.

Its social media statement added: "Over a distinguished career spanning six decades, he won three Laurence Olivier Awards and five Tony Awards, and received an Academy Award for his screenplay for Shakespeare in Love.

"That recognition attests to the remarkable range and enduring impact of his work on both stage and screen.

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues, and all whose lives he enriched."

Tom - born on July 3, 1937, in Zlin, Czechoslovakia - fled his home during the Nazi occupation and found refuge in Britain.

He worked as a journalist and theatre critic before his career as a playwright took off in 1966, with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

The tragicomedy - which follows the titular minor characters from William Shakespeare's Hamlet - bagged him several awards in 1968, including a Tony.

After writing several other plays, including Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Arcadia, and The Coast of Utopia trilogy, his work was recognised by Queen Elizabeth.

In 1997, Tom was knighted by the late monarch - who died in September 2022 at the age of 96 - for his services to literature.

He was also made an Order of Merit in 2000 by Queen Elizabeth, for his services to drama and the arts.

Tom wrote the screenplay for the 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, which starred Dame Judi Dench, 90, Joseph Fiennes, 55, and 53 year old Gwyneth Paltrow.

He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his work on the romance-comedy film.

In 2020, Tom released Leopoldstadt - a play set in the Jewish Quarter of Vienna, Austria, in the early 20th century - and it earned him an Olivier and Tony Awards.

Tom's play Arcadia will be performed at The Old Vic, London, from January 2026.