Academy Award nominee’s production of Beckett play coming to Suffolk

Photo by Alfred Westhead.

Samuel Beckett’s play, ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’, will be performed at New Wolsey Theatre later this month, as Academy Award-nominee Stockard Channing brings her unique directorial vision to Suffolk.

On stage in Ipswich on March 27 - 28, her production of the Beckett classic stars David Westhead (W1A, Enola Holmes, The Bodyguard) as Krapp, who looks back over his life and tries to make sense of it by listening to tape recordings he made as a younger man - recordings which diarise the daily events of his life.

Best known for her acting roles in ‘Grease’, ‘The West Wing’ and ‘Six Degrees of Separation’, Channing makes her directorial debut for this one-act, one-man drama, and she explores the intricate layers of Beckett’s masterpiece. The whole performance is under an hour and following selected shows, the audience is invited to stay for an optional Q&A session with David Westhead who will offer deeper insights into Beckett's timeless, theatrical masterpiece.

Stockard Channing and David Westhead in rehearsals. Photo: Jillian Edelstein

‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ is considered to be one of Beckett's most significant, frequently staged and popular works, and previous versions have seen John Hurt, Harold Pinter, Gary Oldman and Michael Gambon take the starring role.

This recent production has been described by Birmingham Press as “a complete stunner”, and Westhead’s performance as “intense and compelling”. John McAndrew of the Royal Shakespeare Company also praised the production as "Just terrific...brilliant, outrageous and heartbreaking."

It has already toured globally, taking to the stage in eclectic, site-specific venues - those that afford an intimate and powerful theatrical experience - and it continues to captivate audiences worldwide with its exploration of memory, lost love and unfulfilled ambition.

Now it is coming to Suffolk for a two-day run and tickets are still on sale - follow the link below for details.

Krapp’s Last Tape is at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich on 27 - 28 March 2026.

FOR SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE

Also showing at Thorington Outdoor Theatre on 26 July 2026. Click HEREfor details.