Last Sunday (November 9) marked the passing of Welsh poet and writer, Dylan Marlais Thomas in 1953, aged just 39. Thomas, famous for such poems as ‘Do not go gentle into that good night’, ‘And death shall have no dominion’, as well as the one we probably most remember his ‘play for voices’ Under Milk Wood. He also wrote stories and radio broadcasts such as A Child’s Christmas in Wales and Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog. He was hugely popular, somewhat erratic and readily encouraged the image of a drunken poet. Over his lifetime he managed an extensive and varied creative output.
It’s through Under Milk Wood that many will be most familiar with his work. This last week has seen broadcast of the original recording which is thoroughly enjoyable. For my part, I dug out my Folio Society copy (pictured) and spent a pleasant time re-reading it, though the audio version steals the show. Maybe I’ll listen to my the Decca Records vinyl boxed set. Can’t have too much of a good thing!
From its famous opening words, “To begin at the beginning…”, spoken by the young Richard Burton, Under Milk Wood became a milestone of BBC radio broadcasting, revealing the hidden lives and proclivities of the residents of Llareggub, a small Welsh village, in language describes as exciting, fresh and revelatory. Thomas had spent nearly 20 years working on-and-off creating the play. He found the process draining, creating characters — all influenced by his upbringing in Wales. In May 1953, after a stage run-through in New York, he wrote to his wife Caitlin ‘I’ve finished that infernally eternally unfinished “Play” and have done it in New York with actors.’
Sadly Thomas never got to hear the BBC Radio premiere with its Welsh cast, and his friend Richard Burton as the omniscient narrator, nor its subsequent adaptations for stage and screen. Thomas was a heavy drinker and his worsening erratic behaviour finally caught up with him during his time in New York. He fell into a coma and died on 9 November 1953.
Under Milk Wood was broadcast on 9 November this year, in tribute, on BBC Radio 4 Extra. It was first broadcast on the BBC Third Programme in January 1954. The distinctive tones of Richard Burton’s voice which was famously deep, resonant, and unmistakably Welsh — often described as gravelly yet, carrying both authority and poetic warmth. It was the perfect narration for the play.
From those opening lines we are treated to a wonderful cast of characters as the tale unfolds: Captain Cat, Organ Morgan, Willy Nilly, Mrs Dai Bread One, Polly Garter, Mary Rose Cottage, Gossamer Beynon plus a host of equally memorable names (33 in total).
A literary profile of Thomas is both varied and extensive: he acted in productions while at Swansea Grammar School – he continued with acting and producing throughout his life. He made films for the Ministry of Information during the war, wrote poetry, scripts for the BBC and did radio broadcasts, poetry readings, various UK tours and poetry tours in the USA. He spent time in Italy and Czechoslovakia.
Under Milk Wood is available on BBC 4 Extra. It’s a classic and worth 95 mins your time.
deilibri 