Under Milk Wood

When a piece of writing means as much as this does to me, seeing it staged has always been daunting – the recent BBC version had me reaching for the off button within ten minutes, being Welsh simply isn’t enough Aunty! Clwyd Theatr Cymru proved just that, what you need is poetry, vision and talent, heaps of talent. This they had in spades with a cast capable of taking Thomas’s literary masterpiece and realising it as a visual feast. Exploiting every last syllable, every masterful twist of phrase and every last drop of humour they conjured Llareggub as a seething hotbed of restrained and exploited lusts, of murderous intent and jealousies, of drunkenness, youth and of old age – all thinly veiled behind the gentle pastoral image of a sleepy Welsh fishing village. Owen Teale leads as first voice and gives a performance that more than measures up to the legendary Burton recording, even eclipsing it when it comes to finding the humour. Terry Hands directs with assurance, exploiting physical theatre methods appropriately and with restraint. Thomas was a poet, even when writing drama, and this company, no space to single anyone out – or for that matter need in this fine ensemble, deliver the poetry in a production that truly respects his graphic genius. Five stars are simply not enough!
Theatre Royal Brighton
30 June
Andrew Kay

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