Actor with Alzheimer's returns to stage in Beckett's 'Krapp's Last Tape'

Peter Marinker, an 84-year-old actor diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease two years ago, is preparing to perform the lead role in Samuel Beckett's iconic one-man play 'Krapp's Last Tape' at the Cockpit Theatre in London. Marinker first played Krapp half a lifetime ago and this time will reuse the tapes he recorded in 1983. He admits that listening back made him consider redoing them because 'it could have been better,' a sentiment echoing Krapp's own self-critical nature.

Marinker's Alzheimer's symptoms first emerged while he played Gandalf in a musical adaptation of 'The Lord of the Rings' – he would experience brief 'dropouts' on stage but continued. Later, he took a role in the Netflix series 'Death by Lightning,' though learning lines proved challenging. For the new production, he will use in-ear prompts if needed.

Director Dave Wybrow, who suggested reviving the play, sees it as an opportunity to revisit themes from Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot,' which they previously staged together. Wybrow notes that Beckett's works are filled with misremembered and half-remembered moments, which take on a different meaning when you know people with Alzheimer's.

Marinker, raised on the Canadian Prairies, made his school acting debut as a grandmother knitting in a rocking chair, an early hint of his later work with Beckett. He co-founded the Godot Company with Beckett's publisher John Calder to stage Beckett's works. For 'Krapp's Last Tape,' Marinker will replace the traditional costume—too-short trousers, waistcoat, and 'surprising' boots—with his wife's dressing gown. He jokingly asked if he could perform barefoot, but the director reminded him of the banana peel episode.

In addition to theatre, Marinker is a prolific voice actor for video games (including 'Dark Souls'), BBC radio, and even appeared in 'Paddington in Peru.' During the interview, he quoted Beckett's poem 'What Is the Word' and concluded by reading his own poem 'A Foggy Brain in London Town,' musing on lost memories.