Realism

The Real Thing marks a major departure in style for Stoppard: an abandonment of Absurdist styles for an exploration of Realist technique. Stoppard's move from Absurdism to Realism is apparent in the first scene, when Max speaks at length, and apparently without purpose, about the difference between Japanese and Swiss watches. It is a funny, albeit baffling, speech. A moment later, however, the audience realizes that the digression has real meaning. The "utterly reliable" Swiss watches are losing out to the "snare" and "delusion" of Japanese watches, just as solid, stable marriages are being replaced with no-strings-attached affairs.

Later, when Henry and Annie's embrace is interrupted by the impatient beeping of Henry's wrist-watch, Stoppard humorously reminds the audience of his earlier metaphor a thoroughly modern one for time's intrusion into love. It is a metaphor that melds modern context with eternal themes.

The characters are concerned with "real...