Drama on 3: Kafka's Dick

Original version

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Series of drama performances, ranging from experimental works to the Classics

Kafka's Dick

BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3, Kafka's Dick

Alan Bennett's comedy about one of the most miserable writers of the 20th century

Alan Bennett’s comedy about one of the most miserable writers of the 20th century, with Toby Jones, Mark Heap, Jim Broadbent, Jason Watkins,  Fenella Woolgar and Don Warrington.

Kafka’s Dick was first performed in 1986, at the Royal Court.  It is unusually successful at offering great entertainment with depth - Bennett’s brilliant, laugh out loud comedy also grapples with issues of fame and artistic integrity.
The central premise is simple: Franz Kafka and his friend Max Brod, returned from the dead (Kafka metamorphosing from a  pet tortoise), find themselves in the suburban home of Sydney, a Kafka fanatic and his less literary minded wife, Linda. Brod spends the entire drama trying to hide the fact that he did not burn Kafka’s papers, as promised, but had them all published, thus making his friend one of the world’s best-known writers. Along the way paternal relationships are examined. Kafka and his father Herman K’s relative penis size become crucial to the plot whilst Sydney’s Father, who pops in and out of the action, is increasingly convinced that these strange visitors are assessing him for a place in a care home.  

Bennett’s brilliant irreverence cuts through the often torturous academic interpretations of real lives and a talented writer.  A laugh out loud comedy threaded through with literary references and quips. 

The writer

Alan Bennett is a much loved author, playwright and screenwriter. He has won numerous awards and honours including two BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards,  two Tony Awards and an Academy Award nomination for his film The Madness of King George (1994). Bennett is also the only remaining member of the legendary Beyond the Fringe satirical revue.

Cast

Franz Kafka ..... Toby Jones
Max Brod/Recording Angel ..... Mark Heap
Sydney ..... Jason Watkins
Linda ..... Fenella Woolgar
Father ..... Jim Broadbent
Herman K/God ..... Don Warrington


The crew

Director, Producer and Adaptor, Polly Thomas
Co-Director, Dermot Daly
Production Manager, Darren Spruce
Recording Engineer, Paul Clark at Sonica Studios
Sound Designer, Alisdair McGregor
Photographer, Simon Bray
Executive Producer, Eloise Whitmore

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