Krapp's Last Tape

There's a new production of Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape starring Michael Gambon down in London at the moment, and getting excellent reviews. If you can't make that, why not make do with a five-part YouTube of the incredible 2006 production starring Harold Pinter?

http://www.superfluitiesredux.com/2010/09/27/harold-pinter-in-krapps-last-tape/

Did you check it out? I have some friends who went to see it and were disappointed, although they are not generally hardcore theater types.

Originally posted by Palynka
Did you check it out? I have some friends who went to see it and were disappointed, although they are not generally hardcore theater types.

In what ways were they disappointed ... ?

Originally posted by DrKF
There's a new production of Beckett's Krapp's Last Tape starring Michael Gambon down in London at the moment, and getting excellent reviews. If you can't make that, why not make do with a five-part YouTube of the incredible 2006 production starring Harold Pinter?

http://www.superfluitiesredux.com/2010/09/27/harold-pinter-in-krapps-last-tape/

I was lucky enough, or not, to get the 'Beckett Directs Beckett' version (described here: http://www.greylodge.org/gpc/?p=901 ) from ubu.com before it was removed 'at the request of the copyright holder'.

Krapp's Last Tape is harrowing. Spooool ...

Originally posted by Bosse de Nage
In what ways were they disappointed ... ?

I think they just didn't know what they were getting into and expected something more in the style of Waiting for Godot.

Originally posted by Palynka
Did you check it out? I have some friends who went to see it and were disappointed, although they are not generally hardcore theater types.

I saw the Pinter production live (but doubt I'll be able to see this new one), and absolutely loved it. It's a different beast to Godot, for sure, but it's worth giving it a go...

Originally posted by DrKF
It's a different beast to Godot, for sure, but it's worth giving it a go...

Definitely, that's why I asked if you had seen it.

I went to see the Gambon version last week and, whilst I am glad I saw it, I don't feel it conveyed either the anger or depth of (perhaps lost) feeling inherent the play. A lot of the internal references weren't apparent and the key motif somehow didn't seem as beautiful and haunting / haunted. Not sure that the Irish accent that Gambon kept dropping in and out of added anything either.

Whilst it's the first stage version I've seen, I have the both the Pinter version and John Hurt's version for Channel 4 film on DVD and I think it paled in comparison to both. Pinter's Krapp is lodged in my memory and will probably remain my definitive version - I tried to get tickets at the time but, short of spending £200 on ebay, I was too late.

Edit - And so little joy in the word 'spooool'!

Originally posted by Marcusr

Edit - And so little joy in the word 'spooool'!

Perhaps that is what so disappointed Palynka's friends.

In future, before committing to attending a performance of Krapp's Last Tape, always take a spool sample.

(-- And if you find tape-worms ... ?)