BEYOND KRAPP Comes to Edinburgh in July

Exploring the existential reckoning of ego and the brutal landscape of unrequited love, Beyond Krapp is a dark comedy that follows Cormac, a dead man, in the black void of purgatory as he’s taunted by snippets of his own funeral. Inspired by Samuel Beckett's absurdist works, Krapp’s Last Tape and Eh Joe, Cormac catches glimpses of his eulogy, conversations between loved ones and receives shattering voicemails from his ex-girlfriend, sent after his death, that tear apart his character and force a reappraisal of his life on earth. Cutting humour powers the emotional odyssey of Cormac’s reckoning, with a ‘Spotify Wrapped’ playlist of his life blasting from the speakers, as he confronts the past with stoicism, poignancy and all the revelry that comes with an Irish wake. It’s a quest about finding light, love and laughter when there’s seemingly nothing but darkness.

Writer and performer Peter McCormick said, “I read Krapp’s Last Tape and was terrified – terrified that I too would fail to understand love, fail to appreciate friendship, and fail to set aside ego, arrogance and comparison. That’s where this play comes from. I think the fear of not being liked or loved is one we’re often too afraid to admit. This show asks the audience to consider those fears, their relationships and how their lives are summarised. Is it by a list of achievements, a Spotify Wrapped playlist, or the people we leave behind?”

Peter McCormick is an Irish writer and actor, and recent graduate of the BA Acting programme at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He completed his undergrad in English Literature at Trinity College Dublin before moving to Glasgow, where he now lives and works. Peter is mentored by the award-winning playwright Meghan Tyler (Crocodile Fever) and is currently developing a comedy drama series for TV with the Scottish production companies The Comedy Unit and Create Anything. He was recently named on the longlist for the David McLennan Award with A Play, A Pie, and A Pint, for which he is writing a new play about love and manipulation.

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