one4review | On 11, Aug 2026

Krapp’s Last Tape is something of a Fringe perennial and, truthfully, it was the involvement of director Stockard Channing and actor David Westhead that persuaded me to see it. I’m very glad I did.

Beckett’s one-man play finds the elderly Krapp surrounded by detritus and reflecting on his life through recordings he made at different stages of his past. As he listens to a tape recorded when he was 39, he seems almost bewildered by the person speaking back to him, asking in effect: who was that man, and what happened to him?

The staging is superb and Westhead’s performance is mesmerising. He holds the audience’s attention throughout, despite the play’s deliberately sparse action. As you would expect from Beckett, the silences are every bit as important as the words. There are some particularly long pauses, including at the beginning, when you find yourself wondering quite when Krapp will finally speak. Yet the silences never feel empty; they become part of the conversation between Krapp, his memories and the audience.

The production actually finished ahead of its advertised running time, which seemed to take the audience a bit by surprise. In a play where time, memory and mortality are central themes, that felt wonderfully appropriate.

I was completely captivated by Westhead’s performance, although, as always with Beckett, I’m not sure I understood all of the subtext or uncovered every layer of meaning, which is probably part of the point, but I certainly found myself thinking about it for a long time afterwards.

A highly accomplished performance, and one I’d recommend catching. Even better, all of the profits go to the Wembley to Soweto Foundation.

****

Reviewed by Howard

Assembly Roxy, Upstairs

Until 31st August (not 17th)

13.25 (1hour 5 mins)