On his 69th birthday, an aging writer sits alone, replaying recordings of his younger self and reckoning with the passage of time, missed chances, and the remnants of passion that still burn within him. Krapp’s Last Tape, one of Samuel Beckett’s most intimate and haunting works, captures a man caught between memory and regret, reflection and endurance.

Starring and directed by Gary Oldman (Slow Horses), this new production marks the play’s return to the Royal Court, where it was first staged in 1958, presented by York Theatre Royal.

Each performance opens with Godot’s To-Do List, a new Beckett-inspired short play by Jerwood New Playwright Leo Simpe-Asante, winner of the 2025 inaugural Royal Court Young Playwrights Award. Written seven decades after Krapp’s Last Tape first premiered as a curtain-raiser, this companion piece offers a contemporary echo to Beckett’s legacy.