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Lime Studio, Greenside @ George Street
I’ve seen quite a few versions of Krapp’s Last Tape over the years, and it remains one of my favourite one-person plays. The best performance I’ve ever witnessed was back in 2010 with Michael Gambon in the title role, and that has always stuck with me as the benchmark.
This version, performed by Fringe veteran Kevin Short, held its own. Krapp came across in his usual comedically serious way, moving between bitterness, regret and that odd kind of humour Beckett threads into the darkness. The format of the play, where Krapp listens back to recordings of his younger self, still feels powerful. The contrast between the hopeful voice on the tapes and the broken man listening to them never loses its sting.
Kevin Short gave a strong performance that balanced the sadness with just enough levity to keep it engaging. And yes, the infamous bananas made their appearance, though it was the old spools of tape that really set the mood. You can’t help but think that if Krapp had just labelled his spools properly, maybe things wouldn’t feel quite so tragic. Then again, it wouldn’t be Beckett without the chaos.
It was an hour well spent, with a performance that captured the spirit of the piece and reminded me why I always come back to it.