Samuel Beckett’s one-act play Krapp’s Last Tape is brought to life by Shortcut Productions at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This solo show follows the titular character, Krapp, as he listens to a tape from 30 years ago, reflecting on who he was back then and the man he has become now. His younger self was an idealist, and perhaps somewhat naive, while in the present Krapp is clearly a very troubled and lonely man.
Krapp is played by Kevin Short, billed as a Fringe veteran. From the outset, Short does a good job of inhabiting the character. He has implemented an abundance of mannerisms into his performance that showcase his skilled acting technique. This is particularly present through his use of breath, constant and unpredictable, giving the feeling that Krapp is never settled and struggling to find peace. For the majority of the piece, Krapp doesn’t speak, instead listening to a recorded tape from his younger self – that is after spending some time looking for and eating some bananas.
Short has the difficult job of keeping the audience engaged in what is a rather slow-paced script which is that show’s greatest weakness. Krapp’s Last Tape is very slow, bordering on boring. Krapp spends the majority of the running time seated by a desk as a tape recorder plays – there really isn’t much to look at. This is of course a staple of Beckett, think Waiting for Godot, or ‘two men sit and wait on a third’. Short is doing a fantastic job with what he’s been given but Beckett’s work is far from riveting. In an arts festival as grand as Edinburgh Fringe, it would have been great to see more risk-taking with this production. Perhaps try and contemporise it somehow for the diverse, modern Fringe audience. Instead, it was a very traditional approach that didn’t quite land with musicals and circus acts competing for attention down the street.
Krapp’s Last Tape runs until August 9th at Greenside @ George Street, Lime Studio, with tickets available at https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/krapp-s-last-tape
Reviewer: Dylan Mooney
Reviewed: 2nd August 2025
North West End UK Rating: