MS-HRC-SB-4-2-5

[0001] A late evening in the 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 waistcoat, four capacious pockets.[0007] Heavy silver
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] Purple nose.[0012] Disordered 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 tape-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 keys, raises it to his eyes, chooses a key, gets up and
moves to front of table.

[0023] He stoops, unlocks first drawer,
peers into it, feels about inside it, takes out a reel of
tape, peers at it, puts it back, locks drawer, unlocks
second drawer, peers into it, feels about inside it, takes
out a large banana, peers at it, 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,
hⁿearly falls, recovers himself, stoops and peers at skin
and finally pushes it, still stooping, with his foot over
edge of stage into pit.He resumes his pacing, finishes
banana, returns to table, sits down, remains a moment
motionless, heaves a great sigh, takes keys from his pocket,
raises them to his eyes, chooses key, gets up and moves to

[0027] He resumes his pacing, finishes
banana, returns to table, sits down, remains a moment
motionless, heaves a great sigh, takes keys from his pocket,
raises them to his eyes, chooses key, gets up and moves to