Samuel Beckett
Digital Manuscript Project
Krapp's Last Tape / La Dernière Bande

MS-HRC-SB-4-2-3

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Segment 1

[0003] Front centre, sitting facing front on an armless wooden
chair at a narrow wooden table the two drawers of which open
towaards audience. Krapp. a little wearish old man: Krapp.

[0004] Little wearish old man.

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Segment 2

[0005] Rusty black narrow trousers too short for him.[0006] Rusty
black sleeveless waistcoat, four capacious pockets.
[0007] Heavy
silver watch and chain.
[0008] Grimy white shirt open at nexck, no
collar.
[0009] Surprising pair of dirty white boots, size ten, very
narrow and pointed.

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Segment 3

[0010] Pallid face.[0011] Purple nose.[0012] Disordered grey hair.[0013] Unshaven.
[0014] Very near sighted (but unspectacled) and[0015] hard of hearing.
[0016] Cracked voice,[0017] peculiar accent.
[0018] His walk. [0019] At centre of table a tape-recorder., with microphone. On its right a number
of cardboard boxes containing recorded tapes.
[0019|001] To On its left
a thick worn ledger.

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Segment 4

[0020] Table and immediately adjacent area in strong white light.
[0021] Rest of stage in darkness.
[0022] Krapp sits remains a moment motionless, then looks at his watch,
feels fumbles in his waistcoat pockets, takes out an envelope, puts it
back, feels fumbles, takes out a small bunch of keys, raises them to½ to
his eyes, choses a key, gets up and moves to front of table.

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Segment 5

[0023] He stoops, unlocks a drawer, peers into it, feels about inside,
it, takes out a reel, peers at it, puts it back, locks it ag closes and locks it drawer, unlocks the other, peers
inside, into it, feels about inside, takes out a large banana, []
holds it up high between finger & thumb closes and locks drawer, puts keys back in his pocket.
[0024] He
turns, advances to edge of stage, halts, [] caresses banana, peels banana [] it, drops
the skin a skin, puts the end of the banana in his mouth and
remains a moment motionless, staring vacuously before him.

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Segment 6

[0025] [] He Finally he bites off the end,
turns aside and begins pacing up and down at edge of stage, in
light, i.'e. not more than four or five paces either way, eating
banana and meditating meditatively.
[0026] He treads on skin, slips, nearly falls,
erecovers himself, pushes skin with his stoops and peers at skin
and finally pushes it, still stooping, with his foot over the
edge of stage into pit.

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Segment 7

[0027] He resumes his pacing, finishes the ba-
nana, returns to table, sits down, remains a moment motionless, takes keys from his pocket, raises them
to his eyes, choses key, unlocks wr gets up, moves to front of table, as before with both drawers,
takes out a second banana, holds it up high between finger and thumb closes and locks drawers, puts keys
back in his pocket, turns and advances to edge of stage, halts, caresses banana peels it,
banana, puts skin in his pocket, puts end of banana in his mouth
and remains motionless, staring vacuously before him,.

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Segment 8

[0028] [] the edge now off his appetite x He has an
idea, drops banana at his feet, turns and goes backstage into
darkness.
[0029] Ten seconds.[0030] Loud pop of cork.[0031] Ten Fifteen seconds.[0032] He comes
back into light carrying an old ledger and sits down at table.
[0033] He He lays ledger on table, wipes his mouth,
wipes his hands on his waistcoat, brings them smartly together
and rubs them.

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Segment 9

[0034] (briskly).[0035] Ah![0036] (He bends over ledger, turns the pages, finds
the entry he wants, reads
.)
[0037] Box...thrree...spool...five.[0038] (dHe
raises his head and stares front.
[0039] With relish.)[0040] Spool![0041] (Pause.)

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Addition 1
[0001] April 1986. A late envening in 1985 in [] in the nineteen eighties.
[0002] Krapp's sanctum. room. den.
[0004] K. is discovered front centre. Krapp, a little wearish old man, is discovered front centre.
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Addition 2
[0003] Front centre a small wooden table the two drawers of which open towards audience.
[0004] Sitting at the table, facing front, an old man: Krapp.
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Addition 3
His walk.
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Addition 4
holds it up high between finger & thumb
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Addition 5
Finally he bites off the end,
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Addition 6
sits down, remains a moment motionless,
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Addition 7
holds it up high between finger and thumb
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Addition 8
[] the edge now off his appetite
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Date 1
3.58
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Title 1
Typescript III
of

KRAPP'S LAST TAPE
Transcription
  • Segments
  • Marginal Additions
  • Dates
  • Titles