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Krapp’s Last Tape
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Krapp’s Last Tape

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Last Updated: • Article History

News •

Gary Oldman announces his long-awaited return to the stage in Beckett classic • Oct. 17, 2024, 5:23 AM ET (The Guardian)
Gary Oldman to make stage return at York Theatre Royal in Krapp's Last Tape • Oct. 16, 2024, 11:13 AM ET (BBC)

Krapp’s Last Tape, one-act monodrama by Samuel Beckett, written in English, produced in 1958, and published in 1959. Krapp sits at a cluttered desk and listens to tape recordings he made decades earlier when he was in the prime of life, leaving only occasionally to imbibe liquor offstage. To Krapp, the voice in the recorded diary is that of a naive and foolish stranger. Although he comments savagely on the young Krapp’s hope and idealism, he is drawn to the recorded voice of his younger, more hopeful self.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.