An evening in the presence of greatness

Royal Court Theatre

An hour an ten minutes might not constitute a full evening’s entertainment for some but for the critics it was a case of quality not quantity in this Beckett themed double bill. The main attraction was Gary Oldman who directed, designed and starred in Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape, which premiered at Theatre Royal York. All the critics, with one exception, lavished praise on his portrayal of an old man listening to himself on tape 30 years earlier and displaying surprise and disappointment at how life hasn’t turned out as he expected. The critics’ awe at being in the presence of Mr Oldman extended to universal references to his role as Jackson Lamb in Slow Horses, and the fact that the tape recorder was also used by Michael Gambon and John Hurt when they played Krapp.
The curtain raiser was a new play by 19 year old  Leo Simpe-Asante called Godot’s To-Do List, which was generally well received. In it, a young Godot (Shakeel Haakim) is detained by a voice giving him tasks to perform.

[Links to full reviews are included but a number are behind paywalls and therefore may not be accessible]

4 stars ⭑⭑⭑⭑

BroadwayWorld’s Aliya Al-Hassan was entranced by Oldman: ‘His performance in Krapp’s Last Tape is mesmerising: the role requires the actor to bring so much to the act of a cough, a sigh or eating a banana (or three) and Oldman imbues all actions with huge purpose’…(He) displays huge vocal skill; the recordings of his younger voice have a brighter, more lyrical tone, contrasting with the creaky gruffness of older age.’ She gave three stars to Godot’s To-Do List: ‘a fun and quirky opener’.

The Standard’s Nick Curtis analysed Gary Oldman’s performance: ‘Oldman’s Krapp (the scatology is deliberate) is a layered, nuanced investigation of Beckett’s low-key miniature. He mines pathos and comedy from a softening of the eyes or a tightening of the mouth as much as from the scanty text (…) watching Oldman eat a banana is mesmerising. The first thing Krapp does is devour two of them, deliberately and with relish. Emotions chase each other across his face: greed, melancholy, guilt (…) The ending, when Oldman stares ahead as the light dwindles on the quietly turning tape spools before him, is magnificent.’

The Independent’s Alice Saville pointed out: ‘This play is Beckett at his brilliant, merciless best, and Oldman’s staging brings out all its cruelty by showing how utterly destroyed Krapp has been by his own self-deluded ambitions (…) It takes a lot of genius and a lot of experience to convey oceans of complexity in a few short words – and Oldman’s return to Beckett does just that. It’s a profoundly weighty half an hour, saturated in regret and loathing for the youthful hubris that’s gone before.‘ She was critical of the choice of opener: ‘there’s also a juvenile crassness to its jokes about pig orgasms, and a flimsiness to its structure that can’t stand up to Beckett’s masterfully constructed monologue.’

The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish noted: ‘as he cradles the old reel-to-reel kit, and listens intently, and inscrutably, it’s as if Oldman’s derelict, largely desk-bound figure is trying – impossibly – to spirit himself into the words, and the warmer past, itself.’ He called Godot’s To Do List ‘simple but inspired’.

The Stage’s Sam Marlowe welcomed: ‘all the skill and presence you’d expect from Oldman is very much in evidence; bleakly absorbing.’ She commented on Godot’s To-Do List: ‘ Simpe-Asante has a confident command of theatrical gesture and language, and Haakim is engaging as the confounded everyman Godot.‘

Chris Wiegand of The Guardian thought the new play a worthy opener:  ‘Simpe-Asante laughingly considers, yet crucially does so with compassion, the sense that any of us could ever wield any kind of control in this world. It shows, at one point quite literally, a futile search to be in sync with your surroundings.’ About Krapp he said: ‘Oldman’s direction delicately captures a sense of nightfall, with the dying moments of Malcolm Rippeth’s lighting design creating a terrible pathos (…) A stillness concealing tumult is exactly what Oldman’s expression captures as the machine whirs almost like lapping water, and he picks over what is left behind in life when the tide goes out.’ Perhaps in an attempt to having to provide an average rating, Mr Wiegand gave no rating. I’ve assumed 4 stars because that was his rating when he saw it in York.

Tim Bano for The Financial Times commented on the curtain raiser: ‘You could read it as a piece about the tyranny of tech, how our watches now tell us when to stand up; you can see it as a warning about our inability to enjoy the present moment. Wry and smart, it finally explodes into a Beckettian flash of words about the meaning of existence.’  As part of his analysis of Oldman’s performance in Krapp’s Last Tape, he noted: ‘you can almost see those small scenes from his life drift across his eyes, his face responding with expressions of fondness, then dismissal, before a final staring sadness as he fades slowly to black.’

‘Simpe-Asante has created something fresh and modern’ noted Olivia Rook at LondonTheatre before moving on to the main event: ‘It is an understated performance that requires patience from its audience — much of the time Oldman is chuckling or grunting at something his former self has said; in other moments, he sits in silence.’

3 stars ⭑⭑⭑

Was the lavish praise of Gary Oldman in the 4-star reviews a case of the Emperor’s new clothes (or in this case a Jackson Lamb style ‘grubby shirt’)? The Times’ Clive Davis declared himself ‘slightly underwhelmed’.  He noted: ‘Much of the time Oldman strikes impassive gestures as he spools back and forth on his old school reel-to-reel machine’. He liked the opener: ‘a little like hearing the lugubrious Beckett given a generous dose of laughing gas.’

Critics’ average rating 3.9⭑

Krapp’s Last Tape can be seen at the Royal Court theatre until 30 May 2026. It’s sold out but returns and Monday rush tickets may be available from royalcourttheatre.com

If you’ve seen this double bill at the Royal Court, please leave a review and/or rating below