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Mike Smith September 11, 2011

Oxford Playhouse, 9 Sept 2011

It’s not always nice to be proved wrong, but this evening I was pleasantly surprised to discover that my preconceptions were incorrect. I’m talking about the presentation of Under Milk Wood at the Oxford Playhouse. Having grown up with the classic recording from 1954 featuring the marvellously mellifluous tones of Richard Burton, which brought the characters of Llareggub to life, I thought that any other attempt to portray it would be second-best. However, Guy Masterson managed to amuse and engage an enraptured audience as he tackled the play for voices entirely on his own (even Burton had help from other actors, but Masterson portrayed 69 characters without any assistance). While my now-fading recording relied purely on sound to paint pictures in the mind, Masterson (who is Burton’s great-nephew) displayed considerable acting skill to portray the dreaming characters of a small Welsh seaside town.

He is helped, of course, by the script. Poetry can often leave me cold but Dylan Thomas’s words are incredibly descriptive and engaging. Masterson embellishes them with acting that never flinches from being physical and facial expressions that roam from imbecilic to coquettish, downtrodden to triumphant. And he does it with only one prop: a chair.

Special mention should also be made of the soundtrack, where music and sound effects help create atmosphere and add clarity throughout the performance.

I’m reminded of the day in the mid nineties when I first heard the song Hallelujah, sung by Jeff Buckley. I loved it and that became the definitive version for me, surpassing even writer Leonard Cohen’s version. However, I have also come to appreciate other versions (I think there are at least eight versions on my iPod) and they all have their own merits (except for Alexandra Burke’s!). The same applies here. If you don’t know the poem (or is it a play?) already, you’ll enjoy discovering the beauty of Thomas’s language. If you’ve read it but haven’t heard the Burton version, you’ll love the way the story is told. And if you’re familiar with Burton, don’t let that put you off seeing this treatment – it’s a treat in a different way.

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Lita Doolan October 23, 2007

Oxfordshire Centre for Music, Bayards Hill School, Waynflete Road, Oxford, Tue October 23rd 2007

Community theatre at its finest takes place in Bayards Hill School, as the audience is seated to the sound of an incoming tide bringing with it a day in the life of a Welsh coastal town. Hanging from the overhead gantry of Keith Baker’s set are stockings, kettles, net curtains and sheet music. With one in-breath you have the scent of the place. The pithy way items are chosen to tell the tale extends to costumes too. The ensemble cast of six shows great range in portraying a number of cameo roles and a clever selection of garments means this is easy to follow. Hannah Timms flaunts the high-heels of Gossamer Beynon, liberty bodice of Mae Rose Cottage and apron of Mrs Pugh. The cast have an obvious love for this piece and this comes alive in their lyrical enunciation of Dylan Thomas’ words. Their delivery paints the colour ‘black’ in so many ways; bible, bombazine and crow. In fact a audio recording alone of this production would be a treat.

Bringing theatre to the widest community possible is Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company’s laudable mission. A TV screen hangs alongside the bunting showing two interpreters, Lynn and Mike, offering sign language for the few times the set is in darkness. When the stage is lit, actor David Ellington takes centre stage with his beguiling signing that enthralls even those who cannot comprehend sign. Ellington’s expressive face and hand gestures bring out the richness of the dialogue that is being performed. Sign language is used by some of the characters during the play and works brilliantly in scenes such as the children battling it out for playground hierarchy by playing games, lead with gusto by cheeky Gwennie (Ruth Dawes). Much work has gone into the visual quality of the movement, so it becomes obvious when the two wives of Mr Dai Bread are sizing each other up and when later a saucy singsong is underway at the local pub. Brendan Murray’s direction makes it crystal clear what is happening even for those new to the play. This is echoed in Mark Dymock’s simple but effective lighting design that grows warmer and darker as time passes. The late afternoon gives rise to the moving emotions of Captain Cat, grieving for his dead lover Rosie Probert (sensitively played by Tim Gebbels and Cerianne Roberts respectively - both gifted storytellers).

The cast as a whole stay open with their emotions, aided by an open performance space of a raised rectangular stage. This shape serves the purpose of creating a typical Welsh front room, such as Mr Cherry Owens’, with floral carpet and odd wooden dining chairs. Playing in the round creates an intimacy with the actors, who often speak to the audience directly. Organ Morgan (Darren Cheek) uses the space to evangelise about the genius of Bach and conduct imaginary orchestras. This is helped by Jon Nicholls’ sound design, which also includes the ringing of till bells in Mr Mog Edwards’ shop and the dawn chorus on Llareggub hill. This show now starts its UK regional tour, during which the Rev. Eli Jenkins is sure to convert many to enjoying the fine qualities of this inspired production.

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SMB November 8, 2006

Burton Taylor Theatre, 7 - 11 November 2006

If you have any late evening free time this week, you must go and see this production. Director Emily Lim and producer Charlie Henniker have created an absolute masterpiece in turning a great play for voices into a wonderful piece of physical theatre. From ‘To begin at the beginning’ through ‘Mr and Mrs Cherry Owen in their Donkey Street room’ to ‘the second dark time this one Spring day’ the entire audience were captivated by the vocal dexterity and sheer energy of this performance.

Transferring the dreamlike quality of this play into a visual medium was achieved through clever choreography, splendidly realised ensemble playing and great acting skills. Using blackboards as props and prompt boards for the audience, seated either side of the performance area, worked superbly. Lighting was simple and effective, as was the sparing use of music – I loved the Tom Waites-style polka band!

The cast of six were, quite simply, splendid. Mixing a wealth of vocal dexterity with strenuous movement, great clowning skills and many effective changes in characterisation, they all deserve great praise. James Gingell, Lucy Jackson, Jo Tyabi, Virginia Hartley, Lauren Rowles and Dave Workman all worked with great energy and skill to create the wealth of grotesque and humorous characters with which Thomas peopled Llaregyb. In addition they showed sublime comic timing and a startlingly mature array of physical acting skills to portray so many different characters with such individuality. Their energy in performance never dropped, and the audience was carried along, spellbound at times, by a fantastic performance.

Go and see this, if you can get tickets – it was sold out on Tuesday – it really is too good to miss. I hope they are going to recreate this at a later date, because such work deserves far more than a one week run in a small studio. Brilliant!

Performed by the Oxfordshire Touring Theatre Company (OTTC), the classic Under Milk Wood written by Dylan Thomas is a lyrical trip through the lives of the inhabitants from a small Welsh village. An atmospheric portrait of small town life, with all its fantasies, religion, dogmas and routines, Under Milk Wood has become a classic piece of writing, with lines like “Here’s your arsenic dear”, “Praise the lord who made porridge” and “Back she goes to the kitchen to polish the potatoes”, the script is as engaging and funny as it was when first broadcast on radio.

The OTTC translated it well into a stage show, with sign language for the deaf as part of the performance, which was surprising and gave the play an added twist. Net curtains line the four edges of the square stage, which is surrounded on all sides by the audience. Hot water bottles, buckets, cushions and old shoes are entangled in the curtains, and sound effects accompany the voices of the characters as they pass the lines back and forth between each other, in a stream of consciousness that gathers pace and rhythm throughout the two hours of the show, which keeps our attention.

The costumes were especially funny, suggesting a fifties time warp in the village, with suspender belts, braces, black tail coats, woolly socks over old leather shoes, giving the impression of a jumble sale.

Starting with the lights down, with the towns people dreaming in their beds, the play begins with voices speaking in the dark, until "The dawn inches up" and the lights come up. The timing of the dialogue is perfect, with a pause for the rise of the sun, and with quickened voices for the changing pace of the day, shouting and murmuring, laughing and crying, the jumbled words and babbling emotions give a bird's eye view of the town and its crazy people.

The OTTC makes imaginative use of small spaces to make the play visually interesting; the objects on stage and the way the characters move around the edge of the space: it all works to conjure up the image of the welsh village for the audience, and makes the play visually interesting. Sound effects from a nearby speaker add to the voices of the characters, the sound of the sea with its crashing waves is never far away.

Surreal and evocative of an earlier, quieter time, this is an adult play for understated but quality entertainment, not to be missed.

Under Milk Wood is performed across Oxfordshire throughout March and April. Go to the OTTC website for details.

Sarah Vanstone 16 Mar 2006

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