Under Milk Wood
Encyclopedia
Radio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
by Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
poet Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
, adapted later as a stage play. A movie version, Under Milk Wood
Under Milk Wood (film)
Under Milk Wood is a 1972 British film directed by Andrew Sinclair and based on the radio play Under Milk Wood by the Welsh writer Dylan Thomas. It starred Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Peter O'Toole. Like the book it portrays the inhabitants of a small Welsh village Llareggub....
directed by Andrew Sinclair
Andrew Sinclair
Dr Andrew Sinclair is a prolific British novelist, historian, biographer, critic and film-maker. He was a Founding Member of Churchill College, Cambridge. He directed the film, now regarded as a classic, of Under Milk Wood. His book The Better Half: The Emancipation of the American Woman won the...
, was released during 1972.
An omniscient narrator invites the audience to listen to the dreams and innermost thoughts of the inhabitants of an imaginary small Welsh village, Llareggub (which is bugger all spelt backwards).
They include Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard, relentlessly nagging her two dead husbands; Captain Cat, reliving his seafaring times; the two Mrs Dai Breads; Organ Morgan, obsessed with his music; and Polly Garter, pining for her dead lover. Later, the town awakens and, aware now of how their feelings affect whatever they do, we watch them go about their daily business.
Origins and development
When Dylan ThomasDylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
was staying in Wales in New Quay
New Quay
New Quay is a seaside town in Ceredigion, West Wales with a resident population of around 1,200 people. Located on Cardigan Bay with a harbour and large sandy beaches, it remains a popular seaside resort and traditional fishing town.-History:...
one winter, he went out early one morning into the still sleeping town and verses came to his mind about the inhabitants. He wrote the account of this as a short story named Quite Early One Morning (recorded for BBC Wales 14 December 1944 and broadcast 31 August 1945). He continued to work on the idea for eight years.
In Quite Early One Morning there are numerous ideas and characters which would be developed more for Under Milk Wood. For instance, the short story includes a 28-line poem of which this is the fourth verse (the name and the final line reappear in Under Milk Wood).
- Open the curtains, light the fire, what are servants for?
- I am Mrs Ogmore Pritchard and I want another snooze.
- Dust the china, feed the canary, sweep the drawing-room floor;
- And before you let the sun in, mind he wipes his shoes.
Thomas wrote to his wife, Caitlin, (about 23 May 1953, from the USA, on notepaper headed The Poetry Centre), towards the end of a long letter : 'I've finished that infernally eternally unfinished 'Play' & have done it in New York with actors.'
The same year, he read a part of the script in public for the first time in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
at The Poetry Centre. Soon after, with others, he sound-recorded a performance at the 92nd Street YMCA
92nd Street Y
92nd Street Y is a multifaceted cultural institution and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, at the corner of E. 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Its full name is 92nd Street Young Men's and Young Women's Hebrew Association...
in Manhattan.
On 9 September 1953, he delivered a full draft of Under Milk Wood to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as he left for a tour of America, intending to revise the manuscript on his return.
Dylan Thomas is reported to have commented that Under Milk Wood was developed in response to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, as a way of reasserting the evidence of beauty in the world.
Llareggub
Bugger
Bugger is a slang word used in the vernacular British English, Australian English, Canadian English, New Zealand English, South African English, Caribbean English, Sri Lankan English and occasionally also in Malaysian English and Singaporean English, and rarely American English...
all". For early published editions of the play it was often rendered (contrary to Thomas's wishes) as Llaregyb or similar. The double-G is not a feature of real Welsh. If it were to be pronounced in Welsh it would be ɬaˈreɡːɪb
The geographical inspiration for the town has generated intense debate. Laugharne was the village where Dylan Thomas lived intermittently from the 1930s. This town was probably the inspiration for the people of Llareggub, although the topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
of the town is thought to be based on New Quay
New Quay
New Quay is a seaside town in Ceredigion, West Wales with a resident population of around 1,200 people. Located on Cardigan Bay with a harbour and large sandy beaches, it remains a popular seaside resort and traditional fishing town.-History:...
, Ceredigion
Ceredigion
Ceredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
where Dylan was staying when he started writing the play seriously during 1944. Both towns use the Under Milk Wood association to attract tourists, hence the rivalry, and The Dylan Thomas Trail
The Dylan Thomas Trail
The Dylan Thomas Trail runs through places associated with the poet, Dylan Thomas in Ceredigion, west Wales. It was officially opened by Aeronwy Thomas, Dylan’s daughter, in July 2003. The trail is marked by blue plaques and information boards in Lampeter, Aberaeron and New Quay...
has been opened in New Quay.
More recent research has indicated that most of the first half of the play was written in South Leigh, Oxford, whilst the second half was mostly written in America during May 1953. Fewer than 300 lines were written in Laugharne.
Dylan drew a sketch map of the fictional town. This is now at the National Library of Wales
National Library of Wales
The National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
and can be viewed online.
The name Llareggub was first used by Dylan Thomas in a short story The Burning Baby published during 1936. ('Death took hold of his sister's legs as she walked through the calf-high heather up the hill... She was to him as ugly as the sowfaced woman Llareggub who had taught him the terrors of the flesh.')
In the play, the Rev Eli Jenkins writes a poem, which describes Llareggub Hill and its "mystic tumulus
Tumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
". This was based on a lyrical description of Twmbarlwm
Twmbarlwm
Twmbarlwm also known as Twm Barlwm, Twyn Barlwm, or locally known as "The tump" in relation to the mound that lies on its summit, is a mountain situated 2 km to the northeast of Risca in South Wales. It is high and is a well known sight throughout the region...
's "mystic tumulus" in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
that Thomas imitated from Arthur Machen
Arthur Machen
Arthur Machen was a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. His novella The Great God Pan has garnered a reputation as a classic of horror...
's autobiography Far Off Things (1922)
The town's name is the inspiration for the country of Llamedos (sod 'em all) in Terry Pratchett's Discworld
Discworld
Discworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
setting. In the setting, Llamedos is a parody of Wales.
Performances
The play had its first reading on stage on 14 May 1953, in New York, at The Poetry Center. Thomas himself read the parts of the First Voice and the Reverend Eli Jenkins. Almost as an afterthought, the performance was recorded on a single-microphone tape recording (the microphone was laid at front center on the stage floor) and later issued by the Caedmon company. It is the only known recorded performance of Under Milk Wood with Thomas as a part of the cast. A studio recording, planned for 1954, was precluded by Thomas's death during November 1953.The BBC first broadcast Under Milk Wood, a new 'Play for Voices', on the Third Programme on 25 January 1954 (two months after Dylan's death), although several sections were omitted. The play was recorded with a distinguished, all-Welsh cast and produced by Douglas Cleverdon
Douglas Cleverdon
Douglas James Cleverdon was an English bookseller and radio producer, in both fields associated with numerous leading cultural figures in the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
. The recording featured Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
as 'First Voice'. A repeat was broadcast two days later. Daniel Jones
Daniel Jones (composer)
Daniel Jenkyn Jones OBE was a composer of classical music, who worked in Britain. He used both serial and tonal techniques...
, the Welsh composer who was a lifelong friend of Thomas's (and his literary trustee), wrote the music; this was recorded separately, on 15 and 16 January, at Laugharne School.
In 1963, the original radio producer, Douglas Cleverdon, revisited the project and recorded the complete play, which was broadcast on 11 October 1963.
The 1972 film adaptation
Under Milk Wood (film)
Under Milk Wood is a 1972 British film directed by Andrew Sinclair and based on the radio play Under Milk Wood by the Welsh writer Dylan Thomas. It starred Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Peter O'Toole. Like the book it portrays the inhabitants of a small Welsh village Llareggub....
, with Richard Burton reprising his role, also featured Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
, Peter O'Toole
Peter O'Toole
Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most...
, Glynis Johns
Glynis Johns
Glynis Johns is a South African-born Welsh stage and film actress, dancer, pianist and singer . With a career spanning seven decades, Johns is often cited as the "complete actress", who happens to be a trained pianist and singer...
, Vivien Merchant
Vivien Merchant
Vivien Merchant was a British actress.-Career:Merchant performed in many stage productions and several films, including Alfie and Frenzy...
, and other well-known actors, and Ryan Davies
Ryan Davies
Ryan Davies was a popular Welsh entertainer of the 1960s and 1970s. He was born in the Carmarthenshire village of Glanamman in the Black Mountain, Wales, and was educated in Bangor and at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His first professional appearance was in the National Eisteddfod of...
as the 'Second Voice'. The movie was filmed on location in Fishguard, Pembrokeshire and at Lee International Film Studios, London.
In 1988, George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
produced an album version, featuring more of the dialogue being sung, with music by Martin and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, among others; Anthony Hopkins
Anthony Hopkins
Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, KBE , best known as Anthony Hopkins, is a Welsh actor of film, stage and television...
played the part of 'First Voice'. This was subsequently done as a one-off stage performance (as An Evening with Dylan Thomas), for The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust is a charity in the United Kingdom founded in 1976 by Charles, Prince of Wales to help young people. They run a range of training programmes, provide mentoring support and offer financial grants to build the confidence and motivation of disadvantaged young people...
and in the presence of HRH Prince Charles, to commemorate the opening during December 1992 of the new AIR Studios at Lyndhurst Hall. It was again produced by Martin and directed by Hopkins, who once again played 'First Voice'. Other roles were played by Harry Secombe
Harry Secombe
Sir Harry Donald Secombe CBE was a Welsh entertainer with a talent for comedy and a noted fine tenor singing voice. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, the central character in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show...
, Freddie Jones
Freddie Jones
Frederick Charles "Freddie" Jones is an English character actor.Jones was born in the town of Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, the son of Ida Elizabeth and Charles Edward Jones. He became an actor after ten years of working as a laboratory assistant with a firm making ceramic products,...
, Catherine Zeta Jones, Siân Phillips
Siân Phillips
Jane Elizabeth Ailwên "Siân" Phillips, CBE, is a Welsh actress.-Early life:Phillips was born in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, the daughter of Sally , a teacher, and David Phillips, a steelworker-turned-policeman...
, Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
, Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett
Alan Bennett is a British playwright, screenwriter, actor and author. Born in Leeds, he attended Oxford University where he studied history and performed with The Oxford Revue. He stayed to teach and research mediaeval history at the university for several years...
and, specially for the occasion, singer Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
. The performance was recorded for television (directed by Declan Lowney
Declan Lowney
Declan Lowney is an Irish television and film director. After directing a short film in 1980, Lowney worked for Radio Telefís Éireann, and directed musical events such as the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, and The Velvet Underground's Live MCMXCIII...
) but has never been shown.
In November 2003, as part of their commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of Thomas's death, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
broadcast a new production of the play, imaginatively combining new actors with the original 1954 recording of Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
playing 'First Voice'. (Broadcast 15 November 2003, BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
; repeated 24 December 2004.) Digital noise reduction technology allowed Burton's part to be incorporated unobtrusively into the new recording, which was intended to represent Welsh voices more realistically than the original.
In 2006, Austrian composer Akos Banlaky composed an opera with the libretto based on the German translation by Erich Fried
Erich Fried
Erich Fried , an Austrian poet who settled in England, was known for his political-minded poetry. He was also a broadcaster, translator and essayist....
(Unter dem Milchwald, performed at Tiroler Landestheater in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
, Austria).
In October 2008, Brightspark Productions released a 50 minute DVD animation version, using an earlier BBC soundtrack with Richard Burton as narrator. This was commissioned by S4C (a Welsh language public service broadcaster). Music was composed specially by Trevor Herbert, and performed by Treordy Male Voice Choir and the Welsh Brass Consort. Producer Robert Lyons. Director, Les Orton. It was made by Siriol Productions in association with Onward Productions and BBC Pebble Mill. DVD ref: 5 037899 005798.
In 2008, a ballet version of Under Milk Wood by Independent Ballet Wales
Independent Ballet Wales
Independent Ballet Wales, formerly Cwmni Ballet Gwent, is a touring classical ballet company based in Newport, South Wales, formed in 1986 by dancer and choreographer Darius James. Formed of 8 dancers, the company tours to around 70 venues each year throughout the UK...
toured the UK. It was choreographed by Darius James with music by British composer Thomas Hewitt Jones
Thomas Hewitt Jones
Thomas Hewitt Jones is a British composer of contemporary classical and commercial music. He has written extensively for ballet, including the 2008 score for the Independent Ballet Wales production of Under Milk Wood, which was met with critical acclaim including a 5* review from the Independent, a...
. A suite including music from the ballet was recorded by Court Lane Music during 2009.
In 2009 and 2010, a translation in Dutch by the Belgian writer Hugo Claus
Hugo Claus
Hugo Maurice Julien Claus was a leading Belgian author who published under his own name as well as various pseudonyms. Claus' literary contributions spanned the genres of drama, the novel, and poetry; he also left a legacy as a painter and film director...
was performed on stage by Jan Decleir and Koen De Sutter during a theatre tour in Belgium and the Netherlands (e.g. the Zeeland Late-Summer Festival, the Vooruit in Ghent, etc.).
In 2010 a one-woman production of the text was performed at the Sidetrack Theatre in Sydney, Australia, presented by Bambina Borracha Productions and directed by Vanessa Hughes. Actress Zoe Norton Lodge performed all 64 characters in the play
In July 2011, Progress Youth Theatre (Reading, Berkshire, UK) performed a stage adaptation of the radio script. All visual aspects, such as stage directions, costume, set and lighting design were therefore devised entirely by the youth theatre. The voice parts were shared equally between seven actors, with other actors playing multiple 'named' parts (with the exception of Captain Cat, who remained on stage throughout the production).
The BBC Formula 1 introduction to the 2011 Singapore Grand Prix features extracts of the audio for their opening VT.
As the requirements for costumes, sets, and the like are minimal, it is a favorite of college and community groups.
Plot
The play opens at night, when the citizens of Llareggub are asleep. The narrator (First Voice/Second Voice) informs the audience that they are witnessing the townspeople's dreams.Captain Cat, the blind sea captain, is tormented in his dreams by his drowned seafellows, who long to live again and enjoy the pleasures of the world. Mog Edwards and Myfanwy Price dream of each other; Mr. Waldo dreams of his childhood and his failed marriages; Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard dreams of her deceased husbands. Almost all of the characters in the play are introduced as the audience witnesses a moment of their dreams.
Morning begins. The voice of a guide introduces the town, discussing the facts of Llareggub. The Reverend Eli Jenkins delivers a morning sermon on his love for the village. Lily Smalls wakes and bemoans her pitiful existence. Mr. and Mrs. Pugh observe their neighbors; the characters introduce themselves as they act during their morning. Mrs. Cherry Owen merrily rehashes her husband's drunken antics. Butcher Beynon teases his wife during breakfast. Captain Cat watches as Willy Nilly the postman goes about his morning rounds, delivering to Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard, Mrs. Pugh, Mog Edwards and Mr. Waldo ("It's another paternity summons").
At Mrs. Organ-Morgan's general shop, women gossip about the townspeople. Willy Nilly and his wife steam open a love letter from Mog Edwards to Myfanwy Price; he expresses fear that he may be in the poor house if his business does not improve. Mrs. Dai Bread Two swindles Mrs. Dai Bread One with a phony fortune in her crystal ball. Polly Garter scrubs floors and sings about her past paramours. Children play in the schoolyard; Gwennie urges the boys to "kiss her where she says or give her a penny." Gossamer Beynon and Sinbad Sailors privately desire each other.
During dinner, Mr. Pugh imagines poisoning Mrs. Pugh. Mrs. Organ-Morgan shares the day's gossip with her husband, but his only interest is the organ. The audience sees a glimpse of Lord Cut-Glass's insanity in his "kitchen full of time". Captain Cat dreams of his lost lover, Rosie Probert, but weeps as he remembers that she will not be with him again. Nogood Boyo fishes in the bay, dreaming of Mrs. Dai Bread Two and geishas.
On Llareggub Hill, Mae Rose Cottage spends a lazy afternoon wishing for love. Reverend Jenkins works on the White Book of Llareggub, which is a history of the entire town and its citizens. On the farm, Utah Watkins struggles with his cattle, aided by Bessie Bighead. As Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard becomes asleep, her husbands return to her.
Mae Rose Cottage swears that she will sin until she explode.
As night begins, Reverend Jenkins recites another poem. Cherry Owen heads to the Sailors Arms, where Sinbad still longs for Gossamer Beynon. The town prepares for the evening, to sleep or otherwise. Mr. Waldo sings drunkenly at the Sailors Arms. Captain Cat sees his drowned shipmates-- and Rosie-- as he begins to sleep. Organ-Morgan mistakes Cherry Owen for Johann Sebastian Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
on his way to the chapel. Mog and Myfanwy write to each other before sleeping. Mr. Waldo meets Polly Garter in a forest. Night begins and the citizens of Llareggub return to their dreams again.
Characters
- Captain Cat - The old blind sea captain who dreams of his deceased shipmates and lost lover Rosie Probert. He is one of the play's most important characters, as he often acts as a narrator. He observes and comments on the goings-on in the village from his window.
- Rosie Probert - Captain Cat's deceased lover, who appears in his dreams.
- Myfanwy Price - The sweetshop-keeper who dreams of marrying Mog Edwards.
- Mr. Mog Edwards - The draper, enamored of Myfanwy Price. Their romance, however, is restricted strictly to the letters they write one another and their interactions in their dreams.
- Jack Black - The cobbler, who dreams of scaring away young couples.
- Evans the Death - The undertaker, who dreams of his childhood.
- Mr. Waldo - rabbit catcher, barber, herbalistHerbalistAn herbalist is:#A person whose life is dedicated to the economic or medicinal uses of plants.#One skilled in the harvesting and collection of medicinal plants ....
, cat doctor, quackQuackA quack is a person who pretends, professionally or publicly, to have skill, knowledge, or qualifications he or she does not possess.Quack may also refer to:* Quack , an independent-comics series published by Star Reach in the 1970s...
, dreams of his mother and his many unhappy, failed marriages. He is a notorious alcoholic and general troublemaker, and is involved in an affair with Polly Garter. - Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard - The owner of a guesthouse, who dreams of nagging her two late husbands. She refuses to let anyone stay at the guesthouse because of her extreme penchant for neatness.
- Mr. Ogmore - Deceased, LinoleumLinoleumLinoleum is a floor covering made from renewable materials such as solidified linseed oil , pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour, and mineral fillers such as calcium carbonate, most commonly on a burlap or canvas backing; pigments are often added to the materials.The finest linoleum floors,...
salesman, late of Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard. - Mr. Pritchard - Deceased, failed bookmakerBookmakerA bookmaker, or bookie, is an organization or a person that takes bets on sporting and other events at agreed upon odds.- Range of events :...
, late of Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard. He committed suicide "ironically" by ingesting disinfectant. - Gossamer Beynon - The schoolteacher (daughter of Butcher Beynon), dreams of a fox-like illicit love. During the day, she longs to be with Sinbad Sailors, but the two never interact.
- Organ Morgan - The church organ player, has perturbed dreams of music and orchestras within the village. His obsession with music bothers his wife intensely.
- Mrs. Organ Morgan - A shop owner who dreams of "silence," as she is disturbed during the day by Organ Morgan's constant organ-playing.
- Mr & Mrs Floyd - The cocklers, an elderly couple, seemingly the only couple to sleep peacefully in the village. They are mentioned only during the dream sequence.
- Utah Watkins - The farmer, dreams of counting sheep that resemble his wife.
- Ocky Milkman - The milkmanMilkmanA milkman is a person, traditionally male, who delivers milk in milk bottles or cartons. Milk deliveries frequently occur in the morning and it is not uncommon for milkmen to deliver products other than milk such as eggs, cream, cheese, butter, yogurt or soft drinks...
, dreams of pouring his milk into a river, 'regardless of expense'. - Mr. Cherry Owen - Dreams of drinking, and yet is unable to as the tankard turns into a fish, which he drinks.
- Mrs. Cherry Owen - Cherry Owen's devoted wife, who cares for him and delights in rehashing his drunken antics.
- Police Constable Attila Rees - The policeman, relieves himself into his helmet at night, knowing somehow he will regret this in the morning.
- Mr. Willy Nilly - The postman, dreams of delivering the post in his sleep, and physically knocks upon his wife as if knocking upon a door. In the morning they open the post together and read the town's news so he can relay it around the village.
- Mrs. Willy Nilly - who, because of her husband's knocking upon her, dreams of being spanked by her teacher for being late for school. She assists Willy Nilly in steaming open the mail.
- Mary Ann Sailors - 83 years old, dreams of the Garden of Eden. During the day she announces her age ("I'm 83 years, 3 months and a day!") to the town.
- Sinbad Sailors - The barman, dreams of Gossamer Beynon, who he cannot marry because of his grandmother's disapproval.
- Mae Rose Cottage - Seventeen and never been kissed, she dreams of meeting her "Mr. Right". She spends the day in the fields daydreaming, and unseen, draws lipstick circles around her nipples.
- Bessie Bighead - Hired help, dreams of the one man that kissed her "because he was dared".
- Butcher Beynon - The butcher, dreams of riding pigs and shooting wild gibletsGibletsGiblets is a culinary term for the edible offal of a fowl, typically including the heart, gizzard, liver, and other visceral organs.A whole bird from a butcher is often packaged with the giblets...
. During the day he enjoys teasing his wife about the questionable meat that he sells. - Mrs. Butcher Beynon - Butcher Beynon's wife, dreams of her husband being persecuted for selling "owl's meat, dogs' eyes, manchop."
- Rev. Eli Jenkins - The reverend, poet and preacher, dreams of Eisteddfodau. Author of the White Book of Llareggub.
- Mr. Pugh - Schoolmaster, dreams of poisoning his domineering wife. He purchases a book named "Lives of the Great Poisoners" for ideas on how to kill Mrs. Pugh; however, he does not do it.
- Mrs. Pugh - The nasty and undesirable wife of Mr. Pugh.
- Dai Bread - The bigamist baker who dreams of harems.
- Mrs. Dai Bread One - Dai Bread's first wife, traditional and plain.
- Mrs. Dai Bread Two - Dai Bread's second wife, a mysterious and sultry gypsy.
- Polly Garter - An innocent young mother, who dreams of her many babies. During the day, she scrubs floors and sings of her lost love.
- Nogood Boyo - A lazy young fisherman who dreams peevishly of 'nothing', though he later fantasizes about Mrs. Dai Bread Two in a wet corset. He is known for causing shenanigans in the wash house.
- Lord Cut Glass - A man of questionable sanity, who dreams of the 66 clocks that he keeps in his house.
- Lily Smalls - Dreams of love and a fantasy life. She is the Beynons' maid, but longs for a more exciting life.
- Gwennie - A child in Llareggub, who insists that her male schoolmates "kiss her where she says or give her a penny".
Casting
| Character | May 14, 1953 New York | 1954 BBC Radio | 1963 BBC Radio | 1972 Film | 2003 BBC Radio | 2011 Theatre Ink | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Voice | Dylan Thomas Dylan Thomas Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself... |
Richard Burton Richard Burton Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid... |
Richard Burton | Richard Burton | Richard Burton | ||
| Second Voice | Dion Allen | Richard Bebb Richard Bebb Richard Bebb was an English actor of stage, screen and radio.Born Richard Bebb Williams in London, he changed his name to his mother's surname, Bebb, when he took up acting as there was already a British actor called Richard Williams... |
Ryan Davies Ryan Davies Ryan Davies was a popular Welsh entertainer of the 1960s and 1970s. He was born in the Carmarthenshire village of Glanamman in the Black Mountain, Wales, and was educated in Bangor and at the Central School of Speech and Drama. His first professional appearance was in the National Eisteddfod of... |
Siân Phillips Siân Phillips Jane Elizabeth Ailwên "Siân" Phillips, CBE, is a Welsh actress.-Early life:Phillips was born in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, the daughter of Sally , a teacher, and David Phillips, a steelworker-turned-policeman... |
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| Captain Cat | Roy Poole | Hugh Griffith Hugh Griffith Hugh Emrys Griffith was a Welsh film, stage and television actor.-Early life:Griffith was born in Marianglas, Anglesey, Wales, the son of Mary and William Griffith. He was educated at Llangefni County School and attempted to gain entrance to university, but failed the English examination... |
Hugh Griffith | Peter O'Toole Peter O'Toole Peter Seamus Lorcan O'Toole is an Irish actor of stage and screen. O'Toole achieved stardom in 1962 playing T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia, and then went on to become a highly-honoured film and stage actor. He has been nominated for eight Academy Awards, and holds the record for most... |
Glyn Houston Glyn Houston Glyn Houston , is an actor best known for his television work. He is the brother of the late film actor Donald Houston.-Early life:... |
Philip Halin | |
| Rosie Probert | Nancy Wickwire Nancy Wickwire Nancy Wickwire was an American actress known for roles on several daytime soap operas.She appeared on Guiding Light , As the World Turns , Another World , and Days of our Lives .In addition, she made guest appearances on a... |
Rachel Thomas Rachel Thomas Rachel Thomas OBE , was a Welsh character actress, well known to film and television audiences.Born in the village of Alltwen, near Pontardawe, Wales, she appeared in such classic films as The Proud Valley with Paul Robeson, Blue Scar and Tiger Bay... |
Gwenyth Petty | Elizabeth Taylor Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age... |
Mali Harries Mali Harries Mali Harries is a Welsh actress and has been in the television industry since 1999 and is still ongoing in her work. She is renowned for her roles in several TV series, such as Holby City, The Bill and Doctors.... |
Rosie McInnes | |
| Polly Garter | Nancy Wickwire | Diana Maddox | Margo Jenkins | Ann Beach | Eiry Thomas | Bethany Lehman | |
| Mr. Mog Edwards | Allen F. Collins | Dafydd Harvard | Aubrey Richards | Victor Spinetti Victor Spinetti Victor Spinetti is a Welsh comic actor.-Early life:Spinetti was born in Cwm, Ebbw Vale, Wales of Welsh and Italian heritage from a grandfather who was said to have walked from Italy to Wales to work as a coal miner... |
Matthew Rhys Matthew Rhys Matthew Rhys Evans , known professionally as Matthew Rhys, is a Welsh actor, best known as Kevin Walker on the U.S. ABC family drama Brothers & Sisters, and as Dylan Thomas in The Edge of Love.-Early life:... |
Sam Raby | |
| Myfanwy Price | Sada Thompson Sada Thompson Sada Carolyn Thompson was an American stage, film, and television actress.-Life and career:Born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1927 to Hugh Woodruff Thompson and his wife Corlyss , and raised in New Jersey, Thompson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, after... |
Sybil Williams | Margo Jenkins | Glynis Johns Glynis Johns Glynis Johns is a South African-born Welsh stage and film actress, dancer, pianist and singer . With a career spanning seven decades, Johns is often cited as the "complete actress", who happens to be a trained pianist and singer... |
Lisa Palfrey Lisa Palfrey Lisa Palfrey is a Welsh television actress best known for playing the character of "Rhiannedd Frost" in the Welsh soap Pobol y Cwm. She has also appeared in the British film Maybe Baby alongside Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson and starred in the cult film House of America.She attended Ysgol Gyfun... |
Mercer Gary | |
| Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard | Sada Thompson | Dylis Davies | Dorothea Phillips | Siân Phillips Siân Phillips Jane Elizabeth Ailwên "Siân" Phillips, CBE, is a Welsh actress.-Early life:Phillips was born in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Neath Port Talbot, Wales, the daughter of Sally , a teacher, and David Phillips, a steelworker-turned-policeman... |
Christine Pritchard | Emma Weisberg | |
| Mr. Ogmore | Allen F. Collins | David Close-Thomas | David Garfield | Dillwyn Owen | Sion Probert | Jonny Cohen | |
| Mr. Pritchard | Dion Allen | Ben Williams | John Gill | Richard Davies Richard Davies (actor) Richard Davies is a Welsh actor, from Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales whose film and TV work covers many years but is probably best known for his performance as the exasperated schoolmaster Mr Price in the LWT popular situation comedy Please Sir!.Davies uses a broad Welsh accent for much of his... |
Islwyn Morris Islwyn Morris Islwyn Morris was a Welsh actor and director, best known for his roles in Welsh-language television.Morris was born in 1920 in Swansea and began his acting career in repertory theatre there, appearing with Maudie Edwards, among others.... |
Will Champion | |
| Butcher Beynon | Allen F. Collins | Meredith Edwards Meredith Edwards (actor) Gwilym Meredith Edwards was a Welsh character actor and writer.He was born in Rhosllannerchrugog, Denbighshire, Wales, the son of a collier. He became an actor in 1938, first with the Welsh National Theatre Company, then the Liverpool Playhouse... |
Richard Curnock | Hubert Rees Hubert Rees Hubert Rees was a Welsh character actor who had supporting roles in British television shows throughout the 1970s and 1980s.-Career:... |
Sion Probert | Ezra Dulit-Greenberg | |
| Gossamer Beynon | Nancy Wickwire | Gwenllian Owen | Margo Jenkins | Angharad Rees Angharad Rees Angharad Mary Rees is a Welsh actress, best-known for her British television roles during the 1970s, garnering notice for her leading role as Demelza in the 1970s BBC drama series Poldark.-Career:... |
Joyani Ghosh | ||
| The Rev. Eli Jenkins | Dylan Thomas | Philip Burton | T H Evans | Aubrey Richards | Wayne Forester | Jack Reibstein | |
| Lily Smalls | Sada Thompson | Gwenyth Petty | Gwenyth Petty | Meg Wyn Owen | Catrin Rhys | Tess Vasiliadis | |
| Mr. Pugh | Roy Poole | John Huw Jones | Raymond Llewellyn | Talfryn Thomas Talfryn Thomas Talfryn Thomas was a British character actor, best known for supporting roles on British television in the 1970s.-Biography:Talfryn Thomas was born in Swansea on 31 October 1922.... |
Steffan Rhodri Steffan Rhodri Steffan Rhodri is a Welsh film actor, best known for portraying Dave Coaches on Gavin & Stacey and as Reg Cattermole on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part I and II.-Film work:* Ironclad... |
Simon Wolfe | |
| Mrs. Pugh | Nancy Wickwire | Mary Jones | Rachel Thomas | Vivien Merchant Vivien Merchant Vivien Merchant was a British actress.-Career:Merchant performed in many stage productions and several films, including Alfie and Frenzy... |
Sara McGaughey | Aviva Galpert | |
| Mary Ann Sailors | Sada Thompson | Rachel Thomas Rachel Thomas Rachel Thomas OBE , was a Welsh character actress, well known to film and television audiences.Born in the village of Alltwen, near Pontardawe, Wales, she appeared in such classic films as The Proud Valley with Paul Robeson, Blue Scar and Tiger Bay... |
Betty Lloyd-Davies | Rachel Thomas Rachel Thomas Rachel Thomas OBE , was a Welsh character actress, well known to film and television audiences.Born in the village of Alltwen, near Pontardawe, Wales, she appeared in such classic films as The Proud Valley with Paul Robeson, Blue Scar and Tiger Bay... |
Christine Pritchard | Indigo Asim | |
| Sinbad Sailors | Allen F. Collins | Aubrey Richards | Talfryn Thomas Talfryn Thomas Talfryn Thomas was a British character actor, best known for supporting roles on British television in the 1970s.-Biography:Talfryn Thomas was born in Swansea on 31 October 1922.... |
Michael Forrest | Steven Meo Steven Meo Steven James Meo is a Welsh television actor. He is known for playing Dwayne Hoffman in BBC Wales sitcom High Hopes , Grant in the BBC Three show Grownups , and Owen in the BBC Wales drama series Belonging... |
Jonny Cohen | |
| Dai Bread | Allen F. Collins | David Close-Thomas | John Gill | Dudley Jones | Jack Reibstein | ||
| Mrs. Dai Bread One | Sada Thompson | Gwenyth Petty | Guinevere Roberts | Dorothea Phillips | Mali Harries | Emma Weisberg | |
| Mrs. Dai Bread Two | Nancy Wickwire | Rachel Roberts Rachel Roberts Rachel Roberts may refer to:*Rachel Roberts *Rachel Victoria Roberts, British actress sometimes credited as Rachel Roberts*Rachel Roberts *Rachel Roberts, author of the Avalon: Web of Magic series... |
Patricia Mort | Ruth Madoc Ruth Madoc Ruth Madoc is a British actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Gladys Pugh in the 1980s BBC television comedy Hi-de-Hi!, and as Daffyd Thomas's mother in the second series of Little Britain.-Early life:... |
Sara McGaughey | Mercer Gary | |
| Willy Nilly Postman | Dion Allen | Ben Williams | Mervyn Johns | Tim Wylton | Iestyn Jones | Ezra Dulit-Greenberg | |
| Mrs Willy Nilly | Nancy Wickwire | Rachel Thomas Rachel Thomas Rachel Thomas OBE , was a Welsh character actress, well known to film and television audiences.Born in the village of Alltwen, near Pontardawe, Wales, she appeared in such classic films as The Proud Valley with Paul Robeson, Blue Scar and Tiger Bay... |
Rachel Thomas | Bronwen Williams | Eiry Thomas | Indigo Asim | |
| Cherry Owen | Dion Allen | John Ormond Thomas | John Gill | Glynn Edwards Glynn Edwards Glynn Edwards is a British actor.Edwards was born in Malaya and trained as an actor at Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop. He is probably best known for his role as Dave 'the barman' Harris, owner of the Winchester Club in the TV show Minder... |
Andy Hockley | Dan Minahan | |
| Mrs. Cherry Owen | Nancy Wickwire | Lorna Davies | Buddug Mair Powell | Bridget Turner Bridget Turner Bridget Turner is a British actress.She has worked with a number of very famous actors including Peter O'Toole, Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk Douglas, Bernard Blier, Trevor Howard, Bernadette Lafont and Richard Burton and Christina Ricci.On May 8, 2009 John Cleese stated in an interview that Bridget was... |
Ruth Jones Ruth Jones Ruth Jones is a Welsh TV actress and writer. She starred in and co-wrote the multi-award winning TV comedy Gavin & Stacey and has appeared in many other successful comedies over recent years... |
Rosie McInnes | |
| Nogood Boyo | Allen F. Collins | Dillwyn Owen | David Jason David Jason Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack... |
Dan Minahan | |||
| Organ Morgan | Roy Poole | John Glyn-Jones | Richard Parry | Simon Wolfe | |||
| Mrs Organ Morgan | Sada Thompson | Olwen Brookes | Dilys Price | Aviva Galpert | |||
| Mae Rose Cottage | Sada Thompson | Rachel Roberts Rachel Roberts (British actress) Rachel Roberts was a Welsh actress noted for her fervour and passion; Roberts is best remembered for her forthright screen performances in two key films of the 1960s, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and This Sporting Life, in both of which she played the older mistress of the central male... |
Susan Penhaligon Susan Penhaligon Susan Penhaligon is a British actress and writer, she is probably best known for her appearances in the controversial 1976 drama Bouquet of Barbed Wire and several ongoing roles in UK television series.-Early days:... |
Catrin Rhys | Kate Lewis | ||
| Gwennie | Sada Thompson | Norma Jones | Olwen Rees | Tess Vasiliadis | |||
| Jack Black | Roy Poole | John Rees | Steffan Rhodri | Philip Halin | |||
| Evans the Death | Allen F. Collins | Mark Jones | Jonny Cohen | ||||
| Mr. Waldo | Roy Poole | Ray Smith | Jacob Rosenberg | ||||
| Utah Watkins | Allen F. Collins | David Davies | Sam Raby | ||||
| Mrs. Utah Watkins | Nancy Wickwire | Maudie Edwards | Marianne Engelke | ||||
| Ocky Milkman | Roy Poole | Griffith Davies | Dan Minahan | ||||
| P.C. Attila Rees | Allen F. Collins | Davyd Harries | |||||
| Bessie Bighead | Nancy Wickwire | Peggy Ann Clifford | Bethany Lehman | ||||
| Mrs. Butcher Beynon | Nancy Wickwire | Mary Jones | |Bethany Lehman | ||||
| Lord Cut-Glass | Dion Allen | Dafydd Havard | Will Champion | ||||
| Gomer Owen | Ieuan Rhys Williams Ieuan Rhys Williams Ieuan Rhys Williams, born in 1909, was a Welsh television and radio actor. He appeared in Fo a Fe, a Welsh sitcom, as Sioni the bartender, Moulded in Earth as regular cast member John Ellis and Under Milk Wood with the minor role of Gomer Owens.... |
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| First Neighbor | Nancy Wickwire | Simon Wolfe | |||||
| Second Neighbor | Sada Thompson | Joyani Ghosh | |||||
| First Woman | Sada Thompson | Marianne Engelke | |||||
| Second Woman | Nancy Wickwire | Joyani Ghosh | |||||
| Child's Voice | Sada Thompson | Emma Weisberg | |||||
| First Drowned | Allen F. Collins | Jonny Cohen | |||||
| Second Drowned | Dylan Thomas | Sam Raby | |||||
| Third Drowned | Allen F. Collins | Kate Lewis | |||||
| Fourth Drowned | Dion Allen | Mercer Gary | |||||
| Fifth Drowned | Dylan Thomas | Aviva Galpert | |||||
| Voice of a Guide Book | Roy Poole | John Humphrys John Humphrys Desmond John Humphrys , is a Welsh-born British author, journalist and presenter of radio and television, who has won many national broadcasting awards... |
Will Champion | ||||
| Billy | Roy Poole | Sam Raby | |||||
| Johnny Cristo | Dion Allen | Simon Wolfe | |||||
| Dicky | Allen F. Collins | Jacob Rosenberg | |||||
Quotations
- To begin at the beginning: It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courters'-and-rabbits' wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboatbobbing sea. - opening lines, spoken by First Voice
- We are not wholly bad or good, who live our lives under Milk Wood - prayer of the Reverend Eli Jenkins
- Black as a chimbley!
- And No-Good Boyo is up to no good... in the wash house.
External links
- Under Milk Wood - A Short History by Nicolas Soames (accompanying Naxos AudioBook CDs) http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=626361
- Dylan Thomas's two sketch maps of Llareggub. http://digidol.llgc.org.uk/METS/DTH00001/frames?div=0&subdiv=0&locale=en&mode=thumbnail (Click 'front' to get image, then click the image to enlarge it.)
- The writing of Under Milk Wood
- Under Milk Wood and Dylan Thomas' death
- Text of Under Milk Wood, from Project Gutenberg AustraliaProject Gutenberg AustraliaProject Gutenberg Australia, abbreviated as PGA, is an Internet site which was founded in 2001 by Colin Choat. The site hosts free ebooks or e-texts which are in the public domain in Australia. The ebooks have been prepared and submitted by volunteers...
. - Clips of the beginning of the 1954 Richard Burton performance may be heard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuPO2Kvqlms