About the work
One-act play by Samuel Beckett, written in English in 1958 and first performed on 28 October 1958 at the Royal Court Theatre in London as a curtain-raiser to Beckett's own play "Endgame," directed by Donald McWhinnie with Patrick Magee in the title role – a casting Beckett had in mind after hearing Magee's voice on the radio. A German-language production followed within a year, on 28 September 1959 at the Schillertheater in Berlin.
Plot
On his 69th birthday, old Krapp listens back to tape recordings he made of himself in earlier years, reviewing each past year's events. One memory, of a romantic encounter in a boat, absorbs him in particular. He records a new tape mocking his younger self before falling into motionless silence.
Cultural significance
The monodrama is among Beckett's most frequently staged plays and is considered one of his most personal works, dealing with memory, self-deception and old age. Its title role has drawn celebrated actors from Patrick Magee to, more recently, Gary Oldman.