Sir Tom Courtenay, Bristol Evening Post

Great mirth and biting wit brings Larkin to life again; RE VIEWS
ALAN KING
8 March 2011
Bristol Evening Post

Pretending To Be Me: Theatre Royal Bath A FRIEND who was a student at Hull University in the 1950s recalls a day when he found himself alone in the library with the famous poet Philip Larkin whose "day job" was as its custodian.

Plucking up courage he timidly approached the great man with a request for an autograph. Hardly raising his eyes from the page he was reading, Larkin snarled "bugger off".

That image of a private, morose, lonely man ill at ease with the rest of the world was echoed time again in this brilliantly perceptive one-man performance by Tom Courtenay, himself a native of Hull, who compiled the work from letters, articles and, of course, the poetry to mark the 25th anniversary of Larkin's death last year.

On a sparsely decked stage, the actor becomes the poet tracing his life from an awkward but not unhappy childhood, through university years hampered by a severe stammer to the days when the whisky poured and the verse dried up. The whole was punctuated by the strains of the jazz which was a lifelong passion.

Although there is a predominately gloomy preoccupation with old age, death and disillusionment, there are moments of great mirth and biting wit.

Commenting on the appointment of Ted Hughes as Poet Laureate, Larkin observes: "He will do a good job as long as he doesn't write anything."

And he grudgingly admits that he will be best remembered for his most famous line "they mess you up, your mum and dad".

Tom Courtenay delivers a stellar performance slipping imperceptibly from anecdote to poem with consummate comfort. When quoting verse he holds a black-bound book - but rarely glances at the words.

Sadly this was a one-night only appearance. We should petition for an early return.

9/10 ALAN KING