News location:

Canberra Today 15°/17° | Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Review: Staying true to Thomas

Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas

THIS Dylan Thomas masterpiece is widely regarded as one of the greatest works in English literature.

Director Duncan Ley focuses on the work’s uniqueness firmly in time and place. The result is a highly accessible and extremely enjoyable exploration of Thomas’ amoral and, at times, surreal tale.

Originally a play for radio, it paints vivid word pictures and its rhythm ebbs and flows as we experience a day in the fictional, south Wales’ town of Llareggub (read the word backwards).

A beautifully crafted set recreates the mid-20th century Llareggub, where the inhabitants dwell under Milk Wood. Ley adds visual layers of comedy and texture to their interactions, complete with topical references from the 1950s. For example, school teacher, Gossamer Beynon, fantasises about bartender, Sinbad Sailors. She doesn’t care if he’s common, “so long as he’s all cucumber and hooves”. While Gossamer gives voice to this fantasy, she’s reading “Lady Chatterley’s Lover”.

The tight ensemble, nimbly negotiates the twists and turns of language and effortlessly slips from one role to the next. Graham Robertson, as blind Captain Cat, is wise, mythic and moving. Sian Harrington brings Welsh authenticity and a bright spark to the role of Polly Garter. Duncan Diver, as first voice, leads us with charm and grace from one view to another.

If you’ve never seen a Canberra Rep show, see this one; if you’ve never seen “Under Milk Wood”, see this one.

 

Who can be trusted?

In a world of spin and confusion, there’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in Canberra.

If you trust our work online and want to enforce the power of independent voices, I invite you to make a small contribution.

Every dollar of support is invested back into our journalism to help keep citynews.com.au strong and free.

Become a supporter

Thank you,

Ian Meikle, editor

Share this

Leave a Reply

Related Posts

Follow us on Instagram @canberracitynews