Following his recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Peter Marinker will perform in The Cockpit’s production of Krapp’s Last Tape this September.
Krapp’s Last Tape was written by Samuel Beckett in 1958, and follows a man alone on his birthday, listening to tapes that he recorded when he was younger. The one-man monologue explores themes of aging, memory and regret.
The show will feature reel-to-reel recordings made by Marinker when he played Krapp in 1983. Any necessary in-ear prompts will run alongside the play, further highlighting its themes of memory and remembering.
“When I first saw Waiting for Godot at Stratford East in 1961, I had no idea what it was or what to expect—and no idea whatsoever of the impact Samuel Beckett and his writing would have on the rest of my life,” said Marinker.
“As an actor I love to share other’s created characters and words. I believe them and convey them to an audience for them to believe them. Nowadays we use gadgets to remember things, to remember ourselves. Krapp uses a tape recorder to remember the words of his young self. A couple of years ago I discovered I had Alzheimer’s disease. Now Ifeel very excited to do the show.”
The show will be directed by Cockpit director Dave Wybrow, and feature design by Duncan Henderson. Videographer Chris Lincé will film the creation process, making a lasting legacy for Marinker’s performance.
Director Dave Wybrow said “We are doing this production because of Peter’s Alzheimer’s, not in spite of it. Our relationship with memory is never perfect yet it dominates our sense of self and our sense of meaning. Krapp is the perfect play to describe that. And doing the play with Peter is the perfect way to do it.”
“One aim is to show that creative work can be accessible to artists as well as audiences as we get older. But there is also an exploration taking place; of the role that memory, belief and decision-making inter-relate to define who we are and what we make real, moment to moment, age to age and now, this instant.”
Krapp’s Last Tape will be performed at The Cockpit Theatre from 3-5 September. Tickets are pay what you can from £15, and proceeds will be donated to The Alzheimer’s Society.
Words by Ellen Leslie