Krapp's Last Tape/Godot's To-do List at the Royal Court- Review

"Krapp, a 69-year-old semi-derelict, is listening back on his birthday to a recording of himself aged thirty-nine, when he believed himself to be at his peak. Oldman at 68 is the perfect age for the part and follows in the footsteps of John Hurt and Michael Gambon, even using the same prop tape machine as the two other theatrical giants. Like a modern-day Alec Guinness, Oldman has the capacity to disappear into his roles."

"The one-act play, created for Irish actor Patrick Magee, was written in 1958 and comes after Waiting For Godot and Endgame in Beckett's canon. The protagonist, Krapp, a 69-year-old semi-derelict, is listening back on his birthday to a recording of himself aged thirty-nine, when he believed himself to be at his peak."

"This production was born at the York Theatre Royal as a thank you by the actor to the space where he started his professional career and tonight debuted in its original home, the Royal Court, where the Oldman spent his formative years. The one-act play, created for Irish actor Patrick Magee, was written in 1958 and comes after Waiting For Godot and Endgame in Beckett's canon."

"Since 2022 Oldman has also been the star of Slow Horses, the Apple TV series about a rogue group of MI5 agents run by Oldman's character Jackson Lamb. Lamb drinks, farts and wheezes his way through his teams' operations, either pulling them out of trouble or burying them with alarming regularity. This production of Krapp's Last Tape is both directed and designed by Oldman and seems to take inspiration from the"

Krapp, a 69-year-old semi-derelict, listens on his birthday to a recording of himself at age thirty-nine, when he believed he had reached his peak. The one-act monologue was written in 1958 and follows Waiting for Godot and Endgame in Beckett’s canon. The performance features an actor alongside a reel-to-reel tape machine, emphasizing the act of replaying memory and self-judgment. Gary Oldman performs the role at the Royal Court, where he spent formative years, and the production originated at the York Theatre Royal as a tribute to that space. Oldman directs and designs the production, bringing extensive acting range to the character.

Read at London Unattached