Felicity Kendal Makes Poignant Return to Tom Stoppard’s Indian Ink

A Celebrated Career Returns to Hampstead Theatre

British actress Felicity Kendal, best known for her iconic role as Barbara Good in the beloved sitcom The Good Life, has returned to the London stage in a deeply personal production. At 79, Kendal is starring in Tom Stoppard’s Indian Ink at Hampstead Theatre, playing the role of Mrs Swan 30 years after she originated the role of Flora Crewe in the play’s 1995 world premiere. Tom Stoppard wrote the play specifically for Kendal, and this marks the first major UK staging since 1995.

A Tribute to a Late Friend and Collaborator

The production took on additional emotional significance when, just five days after rehearsals began, news came that playwright Tom Stoppard had died. Kendal described the moment as feeling “as if all the lights had dimmed,” remembering Stoppard as “a hard taskmaster” with “razor-sharp wit” and “the kindest of men, with a beautiful sense of humour.” The long-standing professional relationship between Kendal and Stoppard became a defining thread in her career, with the two working together repeatedly from the early 1980s onwards as Kendal originated roles in several of Stoppard’s major plays.

From Flora to Mrs Swan: A Role Revisited

In 1995, Kendal played Flora, the young, scandalous and fiercely independent poet at the heart of Indian Ink. This time, she takes on Mrs Swan, Flora’s sister who is decades older but “every bit her sister’s match.” The play itself moves between 1930s India and 1980s England, exploring themes of colonialism, memory, and artistic legacy. The setting holds particular resonance for Kendal, who was born in 1946 and had a wildly unconventional childhood, travelling throughout India with her father’s acting troupe.

Looking Ahead: High Society and Beyond

Kendal’s busy schedule continues beyond Indian Ink. She is set to star alongside Helen George in a new production of Cole Porter’s High Society at the Barbican Theatre, opening on 19 May 2026 for a strictly limited eight-week season. Kendal was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1995 New Year Honours for services to drama. Her return to the stage in these high-profile productions demonstrates that, even after more than five decades in the profession, Felicity Kendal remains one of British theatre’s most cherished and enduring talents.