MS-UoR-1659

[0001] A late evening in the nineteen eighties ^{[place = supralinear] future}.
[0002] Krapp's den.
[0003] Front centre a small table, the two drawers of which
open towards audience.
[0004] Sitting at the table, facing front, i.e. across from
the drawers, a wearish old man: Krapp.

[0005] Rusty black narrow trousers too short for him. [0006] Rusty
black sleeveless wiastcoat, four capacious pockets.
[0007] Heavy silb ^{[place = overwritten] v}er watch and chain. [0008] Grimy white shirt open
at neck, no collar. [0009] Surprising pair of dirty white boots,
size ten at least, very narrow and pointed.
[0010] White face. [0011] Purples nose. [0012] Disordered ^{[place = margin left] grey} hair. [0013] Unshaven.

[0014] Very near-sighted (but unspectacled). [0015] Hard of hearing.
[0016] Cracked voice. [0017] Distinctive intonation.
[0018] Laborious walk.
[0019] On the table a m ^{[place = overwritten] t}ape-recorder with microphone and a number
of cardboard boxes containing reels of recorded tapes.
[0020] Table and immediately adjacent area in strong white light.
[0021] Rest of stage in darkness.

[0022] Krapp remains a moment motionless, heaves a great sigh,
looks at his watch, fumbles in his pockets, takes out an
envelope, puts it back, fumbles, takes out a small bunch
of kee ^{[place = overwritten] y}s, raises it to his eyes, chooses a key, gets up and
moves to front of table.

[0023] He stoops, unlocks first drawer,
peers into ^{[place = margin left] it}, feels about inside it, takes out a reel of tape,
peers at it, puts it back, closes and locks drawer, unlocks
and opens second drawer, peers into it, feels about inside
it, takes out a large banana, peers at it, closes and locks
drawer, puts keys back in his pocket.

[0024] He turns, advances to
edge of stage, halts, strokes banana, peels it, drops skin
at his feet, puts end of banana in his mouth and remains
motionless, staring vacuously before him. [0025] Finally he bites
off the end, turns aside and begins pacing to and fro at
edge of stage, in the light, i.e. not more than four or
five paces either way, meditatively eating banana.

[0026] He treads
on skin, slips, nearly falls, recovers himself, stoops and
peers at skin and finally pushes it, still stooping, with
his foot over the edge of stage into pit.

[0027] He resumes his
pacing, finishes banana, returns to table, sits down, re-
mains a moment motione ^{[place = overwritten] l}ess, heaves a great sigh, takes keys
from his pocket, raises them to his eyes, chooses a key,
gets up and moves to front of table, opens ^{[place = margin left] unlocks} second drawer,
takes out a second large banana, peers at it, locks drawer,