Peter McCormick brings Beyond Krapp to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe stage, housing itself in the Pleasance Courtyard. Drawing influence from Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape, this dark comedy delves into the existential reckoning of ego against the backdrop of an unrequited love.
Cormac wanted a funeral brimming with energy – Cascada blasting, a roll call of his flings, Zendaya cut-outs, and strippers baring all – instead he is faced with a traditional Catholic service orchestrated by his mother. Trapped in purgatory, Cormac reflects on his lost potential – death at twenty-five – whilst longing for his ex to spend eternity with him.
Beyond Krapp delivers an interesting central premise of crafting your own swan song – being in control of the final chapter of your own narrative. Whilst Cormac desires to craft his carnival style send-off in his final weeks, the battle between a deep faith instilled in his mother versus personal wants comes into play. Wrapped in the tragedy of lost potential in the death of a twenty-five year old, this battle between instilled yet unpractised faith, and the fragility of ego, Beyond Krapp provides rich narrative food for thought.
McCormick has crafted an interesting protagonist – driven by the selfish naivety of youth – seen particularly in Cormac’s relationship with ex-girlfriend Caoimhe. Through the use of audio voice over from Caoimhe we hear the unpleasant reality of her relationship with Cormac, whilst Cormac presents a rose-tinted depiction of their romance – yet one drenched in fears of spending eternity alone or being buried in a two person plot beside his grandparents. These conflicting versions of events serve as a deconstruction of Cormac’s fragile masculine ego as he deals with the terrifying expanse of the afterlife.
McCormick’s performance impressive packs a complex level of emotion from the frustrated anger of the lost potential of death at such a young age, to the fear and desperation of dying alone, whilst tapping into battles between family faith and personal wishes and autonomy. Given these heavy themes, McCormick is excellent at instilling a charisma, pitch black humour and playfulness in the piece – whether it be the raucous description of his desired funeral or the bleak yet sharp observations about his mother’s love of the funeral process.
On a stage adorned with a small two person table and gently flickering candle, a recreation of Cormac and Caoimhe’s first date, McCormick crafts a quietly intimate and personal ambiance. Yet there is the sense of repetition of some of the central the ideas in Beyond Krapp that could potentially benefit from trimming the show to a slightly more engaging forty-five minutes, preventing the pacing dipping in the final act.
While the final act could benefit from tighter pacing, Beyond Krapp remains a darkly humorous and poignant exploration of mortality and ego. McCormick’s layered performance shines, leaving the audience with much to reflect on about the mark we leave on those around us in this life.
Tickets to Beyond Krapp are available now.
Photo: Lacuna Photography