Krapp's Last Tape Tickets - Duchess Theatre

Krapp's Last Tape

Earlier in 2010 audiences flocked to the Gate Theatre in Dublin to witness Michael Gambon take on the role of Krapp in Samuel Beckett’s famous single-act play. Directed by the theatre’s Artistic Director Michael Colgan, it was the latest appearance for the acclaimed actor at the venue and saw it receive unanimous praise for his work. So it is only right that the production makes the journey to a London theatre for a high profile run in the West End and this is what will happen from September to November 2010, with both Gambon and Colgan making the transition as well.

Krapp’s Last Tape is Samuel Beckett’s 1958 play that features a single character on a life-changing journey of discovery. Krapp is an inward looking man who has an annual tradition every time his birthday arrives and that is to sit down and ensure that all of his memories from the last year are recorded onto tape. We catch up with him on his 69th birthday as he carries out this tradition once again, only this time he decides to delve into his past and listen back to some previous recordings. Amongst the tapes is a memory that will turn his feelings inside out – a single and deeply moving recording that will make him reinterpret his life in the present day as he begins to regret and question whether he is living the life he was meant the lead.

And with Michael Gambon in the title role it is likely to be a compelling experience, with the reaction from the original Dublin production going some way to prove this. The acclaimed actor has appeared in numerous stage shows across the country since the 1960s and appeared in previous productions at the Gate Theatre such as No Man’s Land, which also ran at the Duke of York’s Theatre. Audiences are perhaps most familiar with his work in the Harry Potter series of movies, in which he took on the role of Dumbledore following the death of Richard Harris. His other credits include Eh Joe at the Gate Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre plus Endgame at the Albery Theatre in 2004.

Krapp’s Last Tape makes its appearance at the Duchess Theatre from Wednesday 15th September 2010 to Saturday 20th November 2010, with Love Story following from November.