Tom Stoppard pens radio play to mark 40th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’

LONDON – He wrote a play called “Rock ‘n’ Roll,” and now Tom Stoppard is returning to the topic with a radio drama inspired by Pink Floyd.

The play marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the band’s “Dark Side of the Moon.”

The BBC said Thursday it is “a fantastical and psychedelic story based on themes from the seminal album.”

Pink Floyd formed in 1965 and soon became stars of London’s psychedelic scene. “The Dark Side of the Moon,” released in 1973, has sold more than 40 million copies.

Stoppard, who scripted Oscar-winner “Shakespeare in Love,” is the author of plays including “Arcadia” and “The Real Thing.”

Stoppard’s play “Dark Side” is due for broadcast on BBC radio in August, with a cast including Bill Nighy and Rufus Sewell.