Douglas Hodge and Mathew Horne star in new production of Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece of black comedy, 'Endgame'

Widely recognised as one of the greatest and most influential writers of the twentieth century, Samuel Beckett’s plays, novels and poetry are regarded as the pinnacle of black comedy. Two of his most immortal characters, Hamm and his faithful companion Clov, accompanied by Hamm’s eccentric parents, are brought to brilliant life by a company of our best-loved actors.

In a bare room, Hamm, an old blind tyrant, is dispensing his pearls of wisdom to his companion Clov. Interrupted by the nostalgic musings of Hamm’s dustbin-dwelling parents, Hamm and Clov do their best to ignore the older pair, while clinging stubbornly to their comic routine of mutual dependence.

Douglas Hodge plays Hamm. His extensive television credits include Black Mirror, Catastrophe, The Night Manager and Hulu’s critically acclaimed The Great. On the big screen, he starred as Alfred in Todd Phillips’s Academy Award-nominated Joker. An accomplished stage performer, he was nominated for an Olivier Award for his performance in The Caretaker and won the Olivier Award for his performance in La Cage Aux Folles in the West End. He was Associate Director at the Donmar Theatre and has directed many shows on Broadway and in the West End. He also wrote the music and lyrics for 101 Dalmatians The Musical, which has just finished a tour of Britain and Ireland and opens in London this summer.

Image - Selina Cadell (Nell) & Clive Francis (Nagg)

Mathew Horne, who plays Clov, is best known for his portrayal of Gavin in the beloved BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey. Further television credits include Dad’s Army, Agatha Raisin, Worried About The Boy, Chekhov: Comedy Shorts, Catherine Tate’s Nan and Bad Education. Recent theatre credits include The Lover/The Collection, Noises Off, The Homecoming, Rain Man, The Miser, The Pride and Charley’s Aunt.

Selina Cadell (Nell) is currently starring in the West End transfer of the Ustinov’s highly acclaimed The Deep Blue Sea, opposite Tamsin Greig. Her extensive screen career includes roles in much-loved series including Doc Martin, Upstairs Downstairs, Spooks, As Time Goes By and films including The Madness of King George, The Lady in the Van and Nativity.

Clive Francis’s (Nagg) stellar career has spanned more than six decades on stage, radio, TV and film, from Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange to The Crown and Bridgerton. On stage he has numerous credits with the National Theatre, RSC and in the West End, and for more than 20 years has toured the world with his one-man adaptation of A Christmas Carol. A successful caricaturist,

illustrator and playwright, Clive has adapted Our Man in Havana, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Three Men in a Boat, Thark, The Small Hand and Alice the Musical for the stage.

Director Lindsay Posner, one of the UK’s most sought-after directors, returns to the Ustinov Studio fresh from the West End transfers of Noises Off, A View From The Bridge and The Deep Blue Sea.

Endgame runs at the Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath from Thursday 4 September – Saturday 4 October 2025.

Tickets are on sale now at theatreroyal.org.uk or from the Box Office on 01225 448844