A statue in Swansea's Maritime Quarter representing Thomas's fictional Captain Cat

Under Milk Wood is a play for radio by Dylan Thomas, later adapted for the stage. A film version, Under Milk Wood directed by Andrew Sinclair, was released in 1972.

An all-seeing narrator invites the audience to listen to the dreams and innermost thoughts of the inhabitants of an imaginary small Welsh village, Llareggub ("bugger all" spelt backwards – though re-spelt in early editions as Llaregyb so as not to offend).

They include Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard, relentlessly bossing 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 wakes and, aware now of how their feelings affect whatever they do, we watch them go about their daily business.

Origins and development

A boat bearing the name of the fictional location of Under Milk Wood

When Dylan Thomas was staying in New Quay 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 Quite Early One Morning in 1944, and recorded the story for radio in 1945. He continued to work on the idea for eight years and on 9 September 1953 he delivered a full draft of Under Milk Wood to the BBC as he left for a tour of America, intending to revise the manuscript on his return. He read a part of the script in public for the first time in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Soon after, with others, he sound-recorded a performance at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan. Two months later he was dead.

The play was recorded by the BBC in 1954 with a distinguished all-Welsh cast and produced by Douglas Cleverdon. Daniel Jones, a composer who was a lifelong friend of Thomas's, wrote the music for the production. The play was first broadcast (two months after his death) on 25 January 1954, on the BBC Third Programme, and repeated two days later. The recording featured Richard Burton as 'First Voice'.

Dylan Thomas is reported to have commented that Under Milk Wood was developed in response to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, as a way of reasserting the evidence of beauty in the world^{citation needed}.

Performances

Thomas's poetic writing and an unforgettable cast of characters makes this a landmark play in the history of both radio and theatre. The 1972 film, with Richard Burton reprising his role, also featured Elizabeth Taylor, Peter O'Toole, Glynis Johns, Vivien Merchant, and other well-known actors, and Ryan Davies as the 'Second Voice'.

In 1988, George Martin produced an album version, featuring more of the dialogue being sung, with music by Martin and Elton John, among others; Anthony Hopkins played the part of 'First Voice'. This was subsequently mounted as a one-off stage performance (as An Evening with Dylan Thomas), for The Prince's Trust and in the presence of HRH Prince Charles, to commemorate the opening in 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, Freddie Jones, Catherine Zeta Jones, Sian Phillips, Jonathan Pryce, Alan Bennett and, flying in especially for the occasion, Tom Jones. The performance was recorded for television (directed by Declan Lowney) but has never been shown.

In November 2003, as part of the their commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of Thomas's death, the BBC broadcast a new production of the play, imaginatively combining new actors with the original 1954 recording of Richard Burton playing 'First Voice'. (Broadcast 15 November 2003, BBC Radio 4; repeated 24 December 2004.) Digital noise reduction technology allowed Burton's part to be seamlessly incorporated 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 to the libretto based on the German translation by Erich Fried (Unter dem Milchwald, performed at Tiroler Landestheater in Innsbruck, Austria).

Principal characters

The play opens at night, and each character is dreaming- this lasts for about one fifth of the play. The characters are presented below in the order in which the narrator introduces their dreams):

• Captain Cat - The old blind sea captain who dreams of his deceased sea fellows, and the benefits that they miss now no longer alive.
• Myfanwy Price - The dressmaker and sweet shop keeper who dreams of Mog Edwards, a draper and marriage.
• Jack Black - The cobbler, who dreams of frightening the young couples.
• Evans the Death - The undertaker, who dreams of youth.
• Mr. Waldo - Rabbitcatcher, barber, herbalist, catdoctor, quack, dreams of his mother, her regret and his many unhappy, failed marriages due to his alcoholism and trouble making.
• Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard - The owner of a guest house, who must have everything clean and dreams of her late husbands.
• Mr. Ogmore - Deceased, Linoleum salesman, late of Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard.
• Mr. Pritchard - Deceased, failed bookmaker, late of Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard, committed suicide.
• Gossamer Beynon - The Schoolteacher (daughter of Butcher Beynon), dreams of a fox-like illicit love.
• Organ Morgan - The church organ player, has perturbed dreams of music and orchestras within the village. Cries out 'Help' in his sleep.
• Mr & Mrs Floyd - The cocklers, an elderly couple, seemingly the only couple to sleep peacefully in the village.
• Utah Watkins - The farmer, dreams of counting sheep that are smiling, bleating and knitting, just like his wife.
• Ocky Milkman - The milkman, 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.
• 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, who delivers the post in his sleep.
• Mrs. Willy Nilly - Who dreams of being spanked by teacher for being late for school, every night of her married life.
• Sinbad Sailor - The barman, dreams of Gossamer Beynon.
• Mae Rose Cottage - Dreams of meeting the right man by being a rebel.
• Bessie Bighead - Hired help, dreams of the one man that kissed her.
• Mrs. Butcher Beynon - Butcher Beynon's wife, dreams of the horrors that her husband commits.
• Butcher Beynon - The butcher, dreams of riding pigs and shooting giblets.
• Rev. Eli Jenkins - The Reverend, poet and preacher, dreams of Eisteddfodau.
• Mr. Pugh - School master, dreams of murdering his wife.
• Mrs. Organ Morgan - Grocerist, dreams of silence.
• Mary Ann Sailors - Dreams of the Garden of Eden.
• Dai Bread - The baker, dreams of harems.
• Polly Garter - Dreams of babies.
• Nogood Boyo - Dreams of Mrs. Dai Bread Two in a wet corset.
• Lord Cut Glass - Dreams of clocks.
• Lilly Smalls - Maid of the Beynons', dreams of love and a fantasy life.

Castings

Quotations

• We are not wholly bad or good, who live our lives under Milk Wood: - prayer of the Reverend Eli Jenkins

Legacy

Colin Meloy of The Decemberists has claimed to be heavily influenced by Under Milk Wood, stating in an interview with The Guardian that the script "is something I read every year"¹, confirmed by the appearance of the character Nogood Boyo in Billy Liar, from 2004's Her Majesty The Decemberists.

External links

• Audio Book (mp3) from Under Milk Wood, translated into French by J.B. Brunius
• Text of Under Milk Wood, from Project Gutenberg Australia.