Under Milk Wood

Written by Dylan Thomas. Directed by Ruth Crowder

Performed on Thursday 12 March to Saturday 14 March at Pentyrch Village Hall

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Summary

Under Milk Wood is Dylan Thomas’ amusing and poetic play telling the dreams and innermost thoughts of the inhabitants of an imaginary small Welsh fishing village, Llareggub. An all-seeing narrator invites the audience to listen to these dreams, covering the events of a day in the life of its residents, and introduce and describe the village and its many quirky inhabitants in great detail, from blind Captain Cat who is reliving his seafaring times to the town loving priest Reverend Jenkins, guiding us through their daily lives from before sunrise through a 24 hour cycle. Later, the town wakes and, aware now of how their feelings affect whatever they do, we watch them go about their daily business.

NODA Review by Frank Wooles

Dylan Thomas’s acclaimed work was a popular choice with audiences at the Pentyrch Village Hall in March.  Originally commissioned by the BBC and later adapted to the stage, Under Milk Wood reveals, through the dreams and voices of the inhabitants, a day in the life of a small Welsh fishing village, Llareggub, from just before dawn to early evening.  It is a complex work and with a cast of eighteen playing over sixty characters it would be invidious of me (nor would space allow) to mention individual players, with the exception of the pivotal narrators, beautifully played with rich melodious flow and assurance by George Atkins (as 1st voice) and Sian Davies (as 2nd voice).  Sufficient to say that the able cast filled the stage with well-defined and colourful characters who brought to life the humour, pathos and poetry in Dylan Thomas’s acerbic observation of Welsh life in a small community, and an era which has now passed.  In a basic, simple staging, Ruth Crowder’s production, blessed with a fine all-round cast, had pace and imagination and found the many nuances and the richness of the prose to ensure a complete and satisfying return to Under milk Wood. 

Cast

George Atkins                                        1st Voice

 Sian Davies                                           2nd Voice

 Dai Williams                                          Captain Cat, Utah Watkins

 Joe Morris                                             Ocky Milkman, Nogood Boyo

 Simon Jones                                         Evans the Death, Organ Morgan, Mr Pugh, Sinbad Sailors

 Morgan Rees                                        P.C.Atilla Rees, Piano Player

 Matthew Brettle                                     Jack Black, Lord Cut-Glass

 Richard Crowder                                  Child Dicky

 Martyn Lench                                         Mr Pritchard, Willy Nilly, Cherry Owen

 Richard Jones                                       Mog Edwards, Mr Ogmore, Butcher Beynon

 Fleur Greening                                       Miss Price, Lily Smalls, Polly Garter

 Fiona Jackson                                       Mrs Watkins, Guide, Mrs Beynon, Bessie Bighead

 Phil Davies                                             Mr Waldo, Rev Eli Jenkins, Dai Bread

 Sue O’Halloran                                      Mrs Ogmore Pritchard, Mrs Organ Morgan, Mrs Dai Bread

 Helen Jones                                           Mrs Willy Nilly, Mrs Pugh

 Carla Gambarini                                    Gossamer Beynon, Mae Rose Cottage

 Helen Page                                            Mrs Dai Bread Two, Mrs Cherry Owen, Rosie Probert

 Brenda Slaughter                                  Mary Ann Sailors

Production Team 

Producer/Director                                  Ruth Crowder

 Assistant Director                                 Brenda Slaughter         

 Stage Manager                                     Wayne Brewer

 Set Design and Construction              Wayne Brewer

 Musical Arrangements                         Morgan Rees

 Lighting & Sound                                  Wayne Brewer, Rhys Stapleton

Wardrobe                                               Bob Petersen, Sue Gambarini

 Properties                                             Jenna Claridge, Ann Morris

 Business Manager                               Richard Jones

Marketing                                               Richard Jones, Simon Jones, Helen Page

House Manager                                     Steve Williams

Front of House                                       Members and Friends of Hilltop

Box Office                                              Brenda Slaughter, Laura Hallas

Photography                                          Todd Slaughter