People will talk of their visit to see Krapp’s Last Tape: Gary Oldman’s tribute to the theatre which gave him his first professional job.

By Angie Millard

Many will be confused by their theatrical experience and think that 55 minutes of a complex play was not enough, that it didn’t measure up to the hype surrounding Oldman’s appearance. My opinion is that they have witnessed Oldman offering a beautifully measured intelligent interpretation of the role, written by Beckett, to express the sadness and joy of a lifetime’s experiences. The impossibility of understanding the past, that ‘foreign country’ where things are done differently, remains.

It is more than 50 years ago that Beckett wrote Waiting for Godot and it took another ten for it to begin to be understood. Innovative drama affects the shape of drama imperceptibly.

Seasoned theatre-goers may have enjoyed the precision of Beckett’s language. I loved the atmosphere created in the auditorium as the audience gazed at an attic junk room and as the lights slowly lowered we held our breath. Oldman handled the props with precision, fitting the tape spools and moving them back and forth through his past life as he ate bananas and swigged wine. 

Tom Smith handled the sound superbly. When he had listened to his final tape the lights lowered slowly and I was filled with the sadness born of futility. Oldman and Beckett made me re-evaluate my own life.

Outside the theatre people queued to get autographs, the publicity merchandise was selling well and gradually we all drifted away.

Krapp’s Last Tape is being performed at York Theatre Royal until 17 May 2025.

Directed, designed and performed by Gary Oldman

Lighting designer: Malcolm Rippeth

Costume: Guy Speranza

Sound: Tom Smith

Set: Simon Kenny

Props: Michael Hall