Mr Larkin's Awkward Day is a comedy radio play written by Chris Harrald, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 29 April 2008 as part of the Afternoon Play series, with a repeat broadcast on 25 January 2010. The producer was Steven Canny. The play won the Gold Award for Drama at the Sony Radio Academy Awards in 2009.
Background and Plot
The play is based on a true incident from 1957 involving the poet Philip Larkin. Larkin's friend Robert Conquest, a fellow member of the literary group known as The Movement, played an elaborate practical joke on him.
In the story, a pre-fame Larkin receives an official-looking letter embossed with the words "Scotland Yard." The letter informs him that there is an ongoing investigation into a man dealing in pornographic literature, that Larkin's name appears on that man's mailing list, and that investigations may be made into those on the list under the "Pornographic Materials Act of 1921," potentially leading to charges. Larkin becomes increasingly anxious, consulting with his assistant and his solicitors. The situation is eventually revealed to be a prank when Conquest telephones Larkin, laughing, and offers to pay his solicitors' costs. The comedy arises from the misunderstanding: Larkin fears he is being investigated for purchasing dubious magazines, while a police inspector who visits believes he is simply having a friendly chat about literature.
Reception
The Sony Radio Academy Awards Gold citation stated: "Assured direction, excellent performances and concise, skilfully-researched writing all made this deceptively straightforward story a masterpiece. Funny and touching by turns, a single, seemingly insignificant incident in the life of Philip Larkin brought out the humanity and humour of a poet whose personal life is not commonly associated with either."
Cast and Production
- Writer: Chris Harrald
- Producer: Steven Canny
- Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4
- Original broadcast: 29 April 2008
The play was subsequently released as an audiobook by BBC Digital Audio and published in print by Penguin Books UK (ISBN 9781408481066). The historical basis for the anecdote is documented in Andrew Motion's biography Larkin: A Writer's Life (1993, pp. 266–267).
