Slow Horses' Gary Oldman to return to West End stage with beloved cinematic icon
Oldman's production will mark a return for the star, who was last seen at the Royal Court 39 years ago.
Sir Gary Oldman and Tilda Swinton are among the stars set to tread the boards as part of the Royal Court’s 70th anniversary season in 2026.
The actor, who can currently be seen in the fifth season of Slow Horses, will star in and direct Krapp’s Last Tape, after performing the Samuel Beckett play earlier this year at the York Theatre Royal.
The production, which will run in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs from 8th May, will mark a return for Oldman, who was last at the venue 39 years ago when he starred in Caryl Churchill’s Serious Money.
Opening the performance each night will be a new Beckett-inspired short play by Jerwood New Playwright Leo Simpe-Asante, titled Godot’s To-Do List.
Krapp’s Last Tape, which was first performed at the Royal Court in 1958 with Patrick McGee, is a one-act one-man play that sees an elderly and solitary man listen to recordings of his decades-younger self.
Oldman said: "I’m very excited to be returning to the Royal Court with Krapp’s Last Tape and to share the stage with Leo’s wonderful play Godot’s To Do-List."
He added: “I’m very honoured and proud to be a part of it.”
Swinton (The Room Next Door), meanwhile, will make a return to stage as Ella/Max in Manfred Karge’s Man To Man, more than 30 years after she first played the role.
The play, which follows a woman from 1930s Germany who takes on the identity of her deceased husband, will run from 5th September to 24th October at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs.
Opening the anniversary programme is Luke Norris's romantic drama Guess How Much I Love You?, which stars Robert Aramayo and Rosie Sheehy.
There will also be productions of The S**theads by Jack Nicholls, Monument by Rhys Warrington, John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower, Between the River and the Sea by Yousef Sweid and Isabella Sedlak, Are You Watching? by Georgie Dettmer, Archduke by Rajiv Joseph, Blood of my Blood by Joy Nesbitt and The Aronauts by Ryan Calais Cameron.
Check out more of our Going Out coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
