“Today we say goodbye to the world’s greatest playwright. But I am also saying goodbye to my great friend and long term collaborator, and the kindest and wisest person I have ever known.
I’m absolutely devastated, but also feeling profoundly lucky to have had him in my life. Tom transformed the landscape of theatre and literature, yet what stayed with you most was his quiet decency. He made you feel special, valued, entirely worth his time; an extraordinary gift from someone whose mind could illuminate the world.
He was always there for me. Through chaos, doubt, triumph, fear, Tom was steady, funny, wise, and unfailingly present; simply there, exactly when I needed him. He loved his friends with a gentle constancy, and we all adored and cherished him.
We all knew we were standing beside greatness, but he never carried himself like a man who knew it. He wore his brilliance lightly.
The love he shared with Sabrina, and the warmth he drew from his family, gave him a grounding that deepened everything he did. A quiet foundation beneath that
extraordinary mind.
His kindness was active and alert, rooted in real curiosity about other people.
In a noisy world, Tom listened. And in that listening was its own form of genius.
I will miss my dear, great friend beyond measure. But his words and ideas will outlive us all.
Goodbye, my dear friend. Thank you for the joy, the wisdom, the laughter, and the kindness you gave so freely. I love you.”