Krapp's Final Catharsis at the Barbican | A 4-Star Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟
A critique of Krapp's Last Tape: Stephen Rea delivers a remarkable performance
Eagerly awaiting the appearance of Krapp, much like a character trapped in a different Samuel Beckett play, this is your lucky week. At the York Theatre Royal, Gary Oldman delves into the role of the aging Krapp, reflecting upon audio diaries he recorded in his younger years, while at the Barbican, Stephen Rea masters the part with remarkable finesse.
Leaning over a dimly lit desk, Rea's Krapp is a withered shell, battered by alcohol, loneliness, and the ravages of time. He sifts through his towering pile of tape recordings -"spools" he mutters as if hearing the term for the first time - playing them on an old reel-to-reel cassette player for the audience's benefit, hunting for fleeting glimpses of happiness long faded. Past lovers. Forgotten dreams.
With a heart-wrenching twist, Rea recorded Krapp's tapes as a younger performer, aspiring to one day embody this role. This ambition rings true in the tone and might of his voice, echoing that of a seasoned actor at the height of his powers.
It's extraordinary to witness this small play occupying the grand stage of the Barbican theatre, and the minimal set design accentuates this, with the tiny desk prominently displayed on a pedestal, flanked by a narrow walkway leading to the off-stage room where Krapp drinks and hoards the remnants of his life. The staging is deliberate, taking its time to unfold the slender narrative, stretching it to an engrossing 55 minutes. Rea spends five minutes simply eating a banana.
A playful humor pervades the entire performance: a desk drawer that swings open beyond reason; a banana peel waiting to be slipped upon. Many portions of the play consist of Krapp listening to his tapes, each twitch and blink holding significance. Little happens, and I could have watched the lack of action for hours.
Undergoing this play as a man of the same age as the disembodied voice, Krapp's Last Tape is an unusual experience. The younger Krapp, at 39, imagines that his peak has already passed, believing his finest moments are behind him, failing to see the years of potential ahead. The older Krapp still harbors this belief, only he's correct. It's both validating and somewhat melancholic.
Krapp's Last Tape showcases the brilliance of Samuel Beckett, a masterpiece that underscores the playwright's captivating exploration of language and his unrivaled talent for dissecting the human Condition.
• Krapp's Last Tape showcased at the Barbican
- The brilliant performance of Stephen Rea as the aging Krapp at the Barbican is a testament to his mastery of the role, mirroring a similar performance he recorded on tapes as a younger actor.
- Gary Oldman, as Krapp at the York Theatre Royal, delves into the role with great finesse, reflecting upon audio diaries he recorded in his younger years, much like the play's original playwright, Samuel Beckett, does in his movies-and-tv works.
- Krapp's Last Tape, a televised production of the play, presents a unique perspective to the audience, especially to those who relate to the oldman character's introspective journey, providing a relatable entertainment experience that underscores Beckett's captivating exploration of language and the human Condition.
