Unusually for me on a school night, this evening I travelled into Dublin not to the National Concert Hall but to the Gaiety Theatre for a performance of Samuel Beckett’s one-act play Krapp’s Last Tape.
The only character on stage for the performance is the eponymous Krapp played in this production by the inestimable Stephen Rea.
Krapp is listening to tape recordings he made as a younger man, apparently with the intention of recording another now he is an old man. It turns into a sort of dialogue between his present and past selves. Finally he gives up trying to make a new tape in favour of his memories. It’s a very poignant statement about ageing and the nature of memory.
Stephen Rea actually recorded the earlier tape about 12 years ago on the off-chance he would get to play the part, and the clear contrast in his voice makes the back-and-forth very convincing.
I’m very glad I got the chance to see this fine production of a modern masterpiece. Go and see it if you can!
P.S. Not a lot of people know that Samuel Beckett played first-class cricket.
In the Dark 