Krapp's Last Tape Tickets

Krapp’s Last Tape in London

Gary Oldman stars in this landmark revival of Krapp's Last Tape, Beckett’s surrealist, comedic masterpiece, transferring to London following a sell-out run in York. In this masterful solo performance, one man confronts the traces of his former fire, the present’s rust, the slow winding down of life’s spool. This “startling piece of theatre, arresting and emotional” (Guardian) is presented as a double bill alongside Beckett-inspired new writing piece Godot’s To Do List. Krapp’s Last Tape comes to the Royal Court Theatre, in elegant Sloane Square, for a strictly limited run as part of the Royal Court’s 70th anniversary season, celebrating the venue’s legacy of bold, influential theatre. 

What is the play Krapp's Last Tape about?

"Perhaps my best years are gone. When there was a chance of happiness. But I wouldn’t want them back. Not with the fire in me now."

On his 69th birthday, a man sits alone in semi‑darkness amongst his tape‑recorded past. He listens to his younger self’s voice reflecting on hopes, loves, and failures. As the reel turns, we witness time’s passage, memory’s distortion, regret’s bitter texture. Contemplative, precise and unsettling, Krapp’s Last Tape delves into the interior of a life lived, regrets endured, and the strange comfort of familiarity. 

Every performance is preceded by Godot’s To‑Do List by rising playwright Leo Simpe‑Asante- a comedic, Beckett‑inspired curtain‑raiser that draws a link across decades of avant‑garde theatre. In this short comedic play, a bewildered person must complete a seemingly endless series of increasingly surreal tasks, dictated to them by a mysterious voice. 

The History of Krapp’s Last Tape

Krapp’s Last Tape was written by Nobel Prize-winning playwright Samuel Beckett and first performed in 1958, at the Royal Court Theatre, making this revival a poignant homecoming. The play was initially performed as a curtain raiser to another Beckett production, Endgame, and was a critical success. It has been adapted for television, and many significant productions have been mounted in the UK and overseas, with performers who have taken on the titular role including Michael Gambon, Stephen Rhea and playwright Harold Pinter.

This revival arrives in London following a critically praised run at York Theatre Royal. Adding to the production’s unique shape is Godot’s To-Do List, a new Beckett-inspired short play written by Leo Simpe-Asante, winner of the 2025 Royal Court Young Playwrights Award. This witty, thought-provoking curtain-raiser mirrors the way Krapp’s Last Tape itself began its life.

Gary Oldman in Krapp’s Last Tape

Sir Gary Oldman leads the production, starring as Krapp and both directing and designing the set for the piece. Knighted in 2025, Oldman is an Academy Award, BAFTA, SAG and Golden Globe winner. His screen work includes Slow Horses, where his portrayal of Jackson Lamb earned major award nominations, and iconic roles including Sirius Black in the Harry Potter series, Zorg in The Fifth Element, George Smiley in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Rosencrantz in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, and Count Dracula in Francis Ford Copolla’s Dracula. 

The production is mounted by the York Theatre Royal in co‑production with the Royal Court

Who are the cast and creative Team of Godot’s To-Do List? 

The curtain‑raiser, Godot’s To-Do List, is written by Leo Simpe‑Asante. Simpe‑Asante is a writer, composer and performer, and the winner of the inaugural 2025 Royal Court Young Playwrights Award and is a 2026 Jerwood New Playwright. His credits include Cock Ups and Penelope the Musical. Former associate director Royal Court resident director Aneesha Srinivasan (Before I Was A Bear, Manhunt as associate director) directs. 

Godot’s To Do List is performed by Shakeel Haakim (For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy) and Flora Ashton (Shakespeare For Breakfast). 

Book Tickets for Krapps Last Tape at the Royal Court

Krapp’s Last Tape is a rare moment: an Oscar‑winning actor returning to one of the great monologues of modern drama, at the very theatre where it first landed in London alongside bold new short play Godot’s To-Do List. Beckett’s stripped-back, meditative monologue is widely regarded as one of his most personal and affecting works. Don’t miss your chance to see Gary Oldman perform and direct a production that is “up there with the best of the modern day Krapps.” (Guardian) - secure your tickets for Krapp’s Last Tape at the Royal Court Theatre today.