Krapp's last tape
First published 1959 · English · 141 pages
- Drama
- Biography and memoir
A short one-act play for one actor. Krapp, a lonely old man, sits in his den on his birthday and listens to tape recordings he made in earlier years, in which his younger self reviewed his life and hopes. He fumbles with the machine, eats bananas, and comments on what he hears.
The play is a brief, tender and wry meditation on memory, time and regret. It is often performed and prized for its economy and for how it uses a simple device to show a life.
Quotes
Krapp: Perhaps my best years are gone. When there was a chance of happiness. But I wouldn't want them back. Not with the fire in me now.
Krapp: Ah finish your booze now and get to your bed. Go on with this drivel in the morning. Or leave it at that. (Pause.) Leave it at that.