Krapp's Last Tape
Sun, 21 Oct 2001, 11:26 pmHammo5 posts in thread
Krapp's Last Tape
Sun, 21 Oct 2001, 11:26 pmPlay:
KRAPP'S LAST TAPE
One Man show
Venue:
HAYMAN THEATRE UPSTAIRS, CURTIN, PERTH.
Simon Keen, in his graduating thesis production of Samuel Beckett's enormous 'Krapp's Last Tape', took on a beast and won, tonight at Curtin's Hayman Theatre.
'Krapp's Last Tape' was written in by the wonderful Irish playwright in the fifties, and depicts a lonely evening 'in the future' as Krapp, a man of 69, reflects on his life by listening to old reel-to-reel tapes of himself, recorded thirty years in the past. The story is that of desperation, senility, and a savage introspection, while the ravages of time are laid bare before the audience, who watch the grizzled, grouchy, eccentric Old Krapp while simultaneously hearing the articulate, poetic, and ambitious Young Krapp on tape, pondering his thirtieth birthday.
As with any One Man Show, the focus of the performer was paramount. Keen was forced to hold the large audience in the palm of his hand for an hour with very few lines actually spoken live - most were delivered from the reel-to-reel player. Instead of engaging the audience with wit or dialogue, as many One Man Shows require, Keen used the strength of silence and focus to engage and compell, almost eradicating fidgetting and whispering throughout - no mean feat when the seats have no backs! Keen's make-up was simple but grotesquely effective - bleached to the point of clown-like, with hideous black bags under the eyes, the image of age was well established, without resorting to 'aging' makeup which would have proved ineffective in such an intimate space. On the other hand, no attempt was made to conceal the fact that the make-up ended at the jaw-line, clearly establishing a theatricality to the character.
There are only four shows remaining in this limited season. Keen is departing Australia for Britain in the New Year, and you would be well advised to make the most of seeing this exemplar character actor plying his trade and doing what he does best. Three of the performances are 'lunchtime' gigs, free shows aimed at the university set, but are open to all. A final Sunday night performance has been organised for Sunday October 28, at 8pm, for only $6. This is a seriously underperformed script, and it is not often that someone has the guts to have a crack at it in almost the exact manner described in the stage directions. I doubt you will get to see a performance of this play again for a long while, and it will be a long time also before you will see Beckett performed with such conviction, passion, and focus. It's a shame it's only on for a week.
Justin Hammond
KRAPP'S LAST TAPE
One Man show
Venue:
HAYMAN THEATRE UPSTAIRS, CURTIN, PERTH.
Simon Keen, in his graduating thesis production of Samuel Beckett's enormous 'Krapp's Last Tape', took on a beast and won, tonight at Curtin's Hayman Theatre.
'Krapp's Last Tape' was written in by the wonderful Irish playwright in the fifties, and depicts a lonely evening 'in the future' as Krapp, a man of 69, reflects on his life by listening to old reel-to-reel tapes of himself, recorded thirty years in the past. The story is that of desperation, senility, and a savage introspection, while the ravages of time are laid bare before the audience, who watch the grizzled, grouchy, eccentric Old Krapp while simultaneously hearing the articulate, poetic, and ambitious Young Krapp on tape, pondering his thirtieth birthday.
As with any One Man Show, the focus of the performer was paramount. Keen was forced to hold the large audience in the palm of his hand for an hour with very few lines actually spoken live - most were delivered from the reel-to-reel player. Instead of engaging the audience with wit or dialogue, as many One Man Shows require, Keen used the strength of silence and focus to engage and compell, almost eradicating fidgetting and whispering throughout - no mean feat when the seats have no backs! Keen's make-up was simple but grotesquely effective - bleached to the point of clown-like, with hideous black bags under the eyes, the image of age was well established, without resorting to 'aging' makeup which would have proved ineffective in such an intimate space. On the other hand, no attempt was made to conceal the fact that the make-up ended at the jaw-line, clearly establishing a theatricality to the character.
There are only four shows remaining in this limited season. Keen is departing Australia for Britain in the New Year, and you would be well advised to make the most of seeing this exemplar character actor plying his trade and doing what he does best. Three of the performances are 'lunchtime' gigs, free shows aimed at the university set, but are open to all. A final Sunday night performance has been organised for Sunday October 28, at 8pm, for only $6. This is a seriously underperformed script, and it is not often that someone has the guts to have a crack at it in almost the exact manner described in the stage directions. I doubt you will get to see a performance of this play again for a long while, and it will be a long time also before you will see Beckett performed with such conviction, passion, and focus. It's a shame it's only on for a week.
Justin Hammond